Conservation in 2008 supported by Save Venice general funds

This altarpiece once decorated the Marcello family altar in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, located in the sestiere of Santa Croce; it arrived at the Accademia Galleries in 1838. The work depicts the Madonna and Child seated beneath a tree interlaced with putti, who playfully pull and tug at a brilliant red textile trimmed with gold embroidery. To their left is Saint John the Baptist, who folds his hands in prayer; the saint on the right may be Saint Mark, who holds a book that suggests his gospel. Seven members of the Marcello family are depicted the foreground, including four young boys of the younger generation. According to legend, the family commissioned the altarpiece as a gesture of thanks for the miraculous salvation of one of their brethren.

The attribution of this painting is uncertain, as no documents have been found attesting to its commission. During restoration, details were revealed that indicate a sixteenth-century hand, possibility that of Battista del Moro (born Battista dell’Angolo), an artist from Verona known for his fresco cycles in Veneto villas. Prior to this, from the seventeenth century onwards, the name of Francesco Alberti had been associated with the work.

The painting was restored by conservator Giulio Bono, with the guidance of project director Giulio Manieri Elia of the Superintendency of Fine Arts of Venice.

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.

Battista dell’Angolo, called Battista del Moro (1514–1574) [attr.]
Virgin and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Mark and Members of the Marcello Family
1560, Oil on canvas
335 x 202 cm

Gallerie dell’Accademia: Homepage