Accademia Artists | Location Schedule Tickets Authorizations
Artists Tintoretto | Veronese |
Veronese Banquet Levi | Mystic Marriage | Battle Lepanto | Annunciation | Assumption | Coronation Virgin | Crucifixion | St Francis Stigmata
Paolo Veronese, The Battle of Lepanto, at the Accademia Galleries in Venice, Italy
Paolo Veronese (1528–1588) “Allegory of the Battle of Lepanto”
Painting – Oil on canvas (170 x 137 cm) 1571–1573This work by Paolo Veronese was originally housed in the Church of St Peter Martyr in Murano, but it became the property of the State under Napoleonic decrees and was transferred to the Accademia Gallery in 1812.
Battle of Lepanto In the church of Murano, it hung above the Altar of the Rosary.
The painting depicts the famous Naval Battle of Lepanto, which pitted the Holy League against the Turks in 1571, in which the Venetians played a courageous and effective part.
To create his painting, Veronese drew on the official tactical diagram of the naval battle, endeavouring to remain as faithful to it as possible.
The work is visually divided into two parts.
The lower section depicts the naval battle itself, whilst the protectors of Venice and the Holy League occupy the upper section, above the clouds.
Battle of Lepanto Venice, entirely cloaked in the white mantle of Faith, is on its knees imploring the Virgin of the Rosary, flanked by St. Mark accompanied by his lion, and Saint Justina holding her martyr’s dagger.
The presence of Saint Justina in this work is linked to the date of the Battle of Lepanto: 7 October, which corresponds to the day on which her feast day is celebrated.
During the reign of Diocletian and Maximian, Justina of Padua was also a Venetian martyr, providing a further reason to invoke her divine protection during the battle.
To the left of the Virgin, dressed in blue and gold, we can recognise Saint Peter with his two keys, and Saint Roch on his knees with his pilgrim’s staff, from which hang his hat and scallop shells from Santiago de Compostela.
These saints are interceding with the Virgin of the Rosary to defend the cause of Venice.
Battle of Lepanto Behind St. Mark, one can see a group of angels dressed in white, some of whom are playing music as if nothing were amiss; life goes on in Paradise ; whilst one of them, dressed in red, has decided to take action regarding what is happening below him by rushing to Venice’s aid to fire several flaming arrows at the infidels’ fleet.
Just below the Virgin, a great beam of light pierces the clouds to illuminate the flag of St. Mark on one of the ships in the Venetian fleet.
Other rays of heavenly light pierce powerfully through the clouds to demonstrate the strength of the Christian faith in the victory of the Holy League over the Turkish infidels during this historic Battle of Lepanto.
Veronese Banquet Levi | Mystic Marriage | Battle Lepanto | Annunciation | Assumption | Coronation Virgin | Crucifixion | St Francis Stigmata
Artists Tintoretto | Veronese |
Accademia Artists | Location Schedule Tickets Authorizations
Back to Top of Page