although not particularly remarkable, or to be accounted among those of the first excellence in painting, did nevertheless complete his works with much care and exactitude. He was so zealous in his endeavours, and so patient in his endurance of labour, that his paintings, if not all good, have at least a portion of good, seeing that they present a very faithful imitation of life and natural forms.[1]
The works of Palma are more to be commended for the harmony and softness of their colouring, and for the patience with which they are executed, than for any great force of design, for he did certainly handle the colours with infinite grace, and with the utmost delicacy. Examples of this may be seen in many pictures and portraits which he painted for different gentlemen of Venice, but of these 1 do not make further mention, proposing to confine myself to the enumeration of some few pictures, and of one head, which are by all considered most admirable, nay, divine. One of these pictures our artist painted in Sant’ Antonio in Venice, near the Castello;[2] and there is another in the church of Sant’ Elena, which is near the Lido, where the monks of Monte Oliveto have their monaster}^ In this last, which is at the high altar of the church, is an Adoration of the Magi. The number of figures in this work is very large, and among them are some heads, which are truly worthy of praise, as also are the draperies with which the figures are clothed, and which exhibit a rich and ample flow of the folds.[3]
For the altar of the Bombardier!, in the church of Santa Maria Formosa, Palma executed a figure of Santa Barbaraj the size of life: two smaller figures are beside her, a San Sebastian and Sant’ Antonio namely, but the Santa Barbara is one of the best figures ever produced by this painter.[4] In the church of San Mose, which is near the Piazza San Marco, this aidist also painted a picture. It represents Our
- ↑ Della Valle cites the Last Supper in the Church of Santa Maria Mater Domini, as one of the best of Palma Vecchio’s works, and considers an altar-piece in San Cassiano as the earliest.
- ↑ This picture is lost.
- ↑ Now in the Brera at Milan.— Förster.
- ↑ This universally lauded picture of St. Barbara is still in its place. Palma Vecchio is said to have taken the face of the saint from that of Ids daughter, the beautiful Violante.
