About the Artist

Palma Vecchio (c. 1480 Serina, near Bergamo 1528 Venice), whose given name was Jacopo d'Antonio Negreti, moved to Venice in the late 1490's where he was a pupil of Francesco di Simone da S. Croce. Later he presumably worked in the workshop of Giovanni Bellini, and in 1513 he became a member of the Scuola di S. Marco. Palma, whose painting style owes much to the inspiration of Giorgione and the young Titian, numbers among the most important Venetian painters of the High Renaissance. He chiefly concentrated on mythological and religious history paintings, in additon to impressive altarpieces. Balanced compositon, avoidance of dramatic action, and a glowing enameled coloration with a view to a harmonious effect are characteristic of Palma Vecchio's painting. Other works by the artist include Venus Resting, c. 1519, Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden; The St. Barbara Altarpiece, 1521-1524, Santa Maria Formosa, Venice; and Diana Discovers the Pregnancy of Callisto, c. 1525, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.