seen in Venice from many
pictures and portraits that he executed for various gentlemen; but of
these I shall say nothing more, since I propose to content myself with
making mention of some altar-pieces and of a head that I hold to be
marvellous, or rather, divine. One of the altar-pieces he painted for S.
Antonio, near Castello, at Venice, and another for S. Elena, near the
Lido, where the Monks of Monte Oliveto have their monastery. In the
latter, which is on the high-altar of that church, he painted the Magi
presenting their offerings to Christ, with a good number of figures,
among which are some heads truly worthy of praise, as also are the
draperies, executed with a beautiful flow of folds, which cover the
figures. Palma also painted a lifesize S. Barbara for the altar of the
Bombardieri in the Church of S. Maria Formosa, with two smaller figures
at the sides, S. Sebastian and S. Anthony; and the S. Barbara is one of
the best figures that this painter ever executed. The same master also
executed another altar-piece, in which is a Madonna in the sky, with S.
John below, for the Church of S. Moise, near the Piazza di S. Marco. In
addition to this, Palma painted a most beautiful scene for the hall
wherein the men of the Scuola of S. Marco assemble, on the Piazza di SS.
Giovanni e Paolo, in emulation of those already executed by Giovanni
Bellini, Giovanni Mansueti, and other painters. In this scene is
depicted a ship which is bringing the body of S. Mark to Venice; and
there may be seen counterfeited by Palma a terrible tempest on the sea,
and some barques tossed and shaken by the fury of the winds, all
executed with much judgment and thoughtful care. The same may be said of
a group of figures in the air, and of the demons in various forms who
are blowing, after the manner of winds, against the barques, which,
driven by oars, and striving in various ways to break through the
dangers of the towering waves, are like to sink. In short, to tell the
truth, this work is of such a kind, and so beautiful in invention and in
other respects, that it seems almost impossible that brushes and
colours, employed by human hands, however excellent, should be able to
depict anything more true to reality or more natural; for in it may be
seen the fury of the winds, the strength and dexterity of the men, the
movements of the waves, the lightning-flashes of the heavens, the water
broken by the oars, and the oars bent by the waves and by the