San Zeno Altarpiece

The San Zeno Altarpiece is a polyptych by Andrea Mantegna, painted in tempera on panel around 1457 to 1460, and it still stands in the Basilica di San Zeno, the main church of Verona. The Venetian nobleman and humanist Gregorio Correr, abbot of the church, commissioned it, and its name honors Verona's patron saint, traditionally credited with bringing Christianity to the city. At the center, the Madonna and Child sit on a marble throne, flanked by four saints on each side, arranged to suit the patron's wishes. The scene is set within a classical temple whose putti, garlands and mythological roundels recall antiquity. The singing and music-making angels follow Donatello's manner, and the throne resembles a Roman sarcophagus. Mantegna contrasts the pagan past, rendered in grisaille, with the Christian present, painted in vivid color, which gives the work its distinctive character. The predella paintings visible today are copies, as the originals were taken to France in 1797.

Painter

Andrea Mantegna

Date

1457

Medium

tempera, panel

Dimensions

480 × 450 cm

Museum

Basilica of San Zeno

Movement

Renaissance

Genre

religious art

Depicts

angel, boy, Saint Peter, Mary, woman, mother, Paul the Apostle, Madonna and Child

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