Restored in 2011 with funding from The James R. Dougherty, Jr. Foundation, through Beatrice Rossi-Landi, Trustee.

In 1821 the Accademia Galleries acquired this altarpiece from a church in Fontanelle, a village near Oderzo in the Treviso area of the Veneto, in exchange for a sum of money and a painting by Francesco Montemezzano from the Accademia’s storage.

Although the painting had previously been attributed to Pordenone, upon its arrival in Venice art historians recognized it as a work by Palma il Vecchio. Born in Bergamo, Jacopo d’Antonio Negretti took the name of Palma in 1513. He eventually became known to art historians as “il Vecchio” to distinguish him from his great-nephew, Palma “il Giovane,” who was active as a painter a half-century later.

The altarpiece depicts Saint Peter enthroned and surrounded by six saints, in a sense transforming a Renaissance sacra conversazione into an “All Saints” picture. The central ideological focus of the work is Peter’s leadership of the Church, as the first bishop of Rome, yet it also holds great significance to the local community in the Veneto for which it was produced. Saint Mark was sent by Peter to bring the Gospel to Aquileia, where he would establish the first church in the area; Saint Titian Bishop was a bishop saint from the town of Oderzo; and Saints Justine and Augusta were early Christian martyr saints, respectively from Padua and Treviso.

The altarpiece was restored by conservator Sandra Pesso, with the guidance of project director Giulio Manieri Elia.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Jacopo Negretti, called Palma il Vecchio (c. 1480–1528)
Saint Peter Enthroned with Saints Paul, Titian Bishop, Justine, John the Baptist, Mark, and Augusta
c.1520, oil on wood transferred to fiberglass and aluminum honeycomb panel
287 x 183 cm

Gallerie dell’Accademia: Homepage

Gallerie dell’Accademia: Link to the Work