Originally a larger altarpiece, it now comprises only the
central panel with the Virgin Enthroned, and four half-busts of saints: (Left
side) Saint Nicholas and Saint Maddalena (Right side) Saint Ursula and Saint Dominique.
This particular work of Antonello's, which had so
significant an influence on his artistic career, and also on the history of
subsequent Venetian painting, disappeared from the Church of San Cassiano in
the first decades of the 17th century. Ridolfi mentions this disappearance in
1648. Reduced to fragments, this particular work reappeared in the collection
of the Archduke Leopold William in Brussels but at that time, it was attributed
to Giovanni Bellini. About this time, Teniers made copies and engravings of
them. In 1700 three or so of the large fragments found their way to Vienna. The
two side-wings remained unrecognised until 1928, when they were put on show by
Wilde. The Madonna was displayed, (but now it was attributed to Bellini and
then later attributed to Boccaccino). It was a certain Berenson who was the
first to identify in this picture the centre-piece of the San Cassiano altar.
Finally Wilde managed to trace the two lateral fragments and tried to
reconstruct the whole (1929).
This postcard came from Barbara of Slovenia who bought
this postcard in a flea market in Berlin (8 June 2015) Postcrossing.
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