The Renaissance

construct and redecorate the building with
two major works,Venice Ruling with Jus-
tice and PeaceandTriumph of Venice.For
the architect Andrea Palladio, Veronese
painted natural and allegorical scenes on
the walls and ceilings of the famous Palla-
dian Villa Barbaro. Veronese adopted the
classical building style of Palladio in the
backgrounds of several of his large can-
vases, many of which depict grand proces-
sions, majestic assemblies, and lavish feasts.

Over a period of fifteen years, Veronese
completed several important decorative
works for the San Sebastiano church in
Venice. Ceiling paintings illustrate the
story of Esther, and employ dramatic fore-
shortening; the choir of the church is
decorated with scenes from the life of Saint
Sebastian. Two paintings he did for the or-
gan shutters of the church change as the
shutters open and close.

Other famous paintings by Veronese
includeChrist Among the Doctors, St. John
Preaching, andThe Supper at Emmaus.The
Marriage at Canais a huge and richly de-
tailed canvas with portraits of Veronese,
Titian, Tintoretto, and Jacopo Bassano, de-
picted as musicians seated at the feet of
Christ. Veronese received several commis-
sions to decorate refectories, or dining
halls, for Venetian monasteries; these
works include theFeast of St. Gregory the
GreatandFeast in the House of Simon.But
he drew unwanted attention from the In-
quisition for one of these works: aLast
Supper, in which he included clowns, sol-
diers, dwarfs, and other irreverent figures.
In response to this scolding by the reli-
gious authorities, he simply changed the
name of the painting, one of the largest
works of the Renaissance, toFeast in the
House of Levi. Veronese established a busy
workshop in Venice that survived his death
under the management of his brothers and
sons, and which remained an important

influence in the painting of Venice for two

centuries.

SEEALSO: Tintoretto, Jacopo; Titian

Verrocchio, Andrea del ....................

(1435–1488)

Sculptor, goldsmith, and painter renowned

for his monumental works in bronze. He

was born as Andrea di Michele di

Francesco di Cioni in Florence and was

the son of a brick maker. Historians know

very few details of his youth or his ap-

prenticeship as an artist. He joined the

workshop of Giulio Verrocchi, whose name

he took as his own; he may also have stud-

ied with Fra Filippo Lippi. Verrocchio was

commissioned in 1465 by the traders guild

of Florence to create a work for the church

of Orsanmichele. The result was hisChrist

and St. Thomas(also known as theDoubt-

ing of Thomas), which was finally com-

pleted in 1483 and which immediately

drew the admiration for its dramatic ar-

rangement and ingenious use of a con-

fined space.

Verrocchio enjoyed a high reputation

in Florence and drew many skilled young

painters to his workshop, including Pe-

rugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico

Ghirlandaio, and Leonardo da Vinci. As a

painter, Verrocchio is best known for his

Baptism of Christ, in which he was assisted

by his young apprentice Leonardo da

Vinci, who completed a dramatic natural

backdrop and the head of an angel. Ver-

rocchio also completed an altarpiece for

the cathedral of Pistoia, aCrucifixion with

Saints, Madonna with Child (the only

painting that he signed), andTobias and

the Angel.

He won several important commis-

sions from the Medici rulers of Florence,

including funerary monuments to Cosimo

de’ Medici and monuments to Giovanni,

Verrocchio, Andrea del