The ''Asolo Altarpiece'' is a 1506

oil-on-panel A panel painting is a painting made on a flat panel of wood, either a single piece or a number of pieces joined together. Until canvas became the more popular support medium in the 16th century, panel painting was the normal method, when not pain ...

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

, measuring 175 x 162 cm, by the

Italian Renaissance painter Italian Renaissance painting is the painting of the period beginning in the late 13th century and flourishing from the early 15th to late 16th centuries, occurring in the Italian Peninsula, which was at that time divided into many political sta ...

Lorenzo Lotto Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480 – 1556/57) was an Italian Renaissance painter, draughtsman, and illustrator, traditionally placed in the Venetian school, though much of his career was spent in other north Italian cities. He painted mainly altarpie ...

. For a long time it was displayed in the Santa Caterina Oratory in

Asolo Asolo () is a town and ''comune'' in the Veneto, Veneto Region of northern Italy. It is known as "The Pearl of the province of Treviso", and also as "The City of a Hundred Horizons" for its mountain settings. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'It ...

but it is thought to have originally been painted for the Battuti confraternity's side-chapel in

Asolo Duomo Asolo Duomo (''duomo di Asolo'') is the main church in the Italian city of Asolo. Its full title is the Provostorial and Collegiate Church of St Mary of the Assumption (''chiesa prepositurale e collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta''). It is a provos ...

, where it now hangs. It is signed "Laurent usLotus / Junio M.D.VI" on a

cartouche upalt=A stone face carved with coloured hieroglyphics. Two cartouches - ovoid shapes with hieroglyphics inside - are visible at the bottom., Birth and throne cartouches of Pharaoh KV17.html" ;"title="Seti I, from KV17">Seti I, from KV17 at the ...

in the lower centre. It dates to the end of his time in

Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...

. It shows a vision of the

Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of w ...

, shown as an old woman being taken up to heaven in a

mandorla A mandorla is an almond-shaped aureola, i.e. a frame that surrounds the totality of an iconographic figure. It is usually synonymous with '' vesica'', a lens shape. Mandorlas often surround the figures of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in tra ...

of light accompanied by four small angels. Her face may be based on that of

Caterina Cornaro Catherine Cornaro (; or ; ; 25 November 1454 – 10 July 1510) was the last monarch of the Kingdom of Cyprus, also holding the titles of Queen of Jerusalem and Queen of Armenia. She became queen consort of Cyprus by marriage to James II of ...

, who at that time headed a lively court full of artists and writers in Asolo. If this is correct, she may have commissioned it or it may have been commissioned by someone wishing to praise her. Witnessing the vision are Antony the Great to the left and

Louis of Toulouse Saint Louis of Toulouse (9 February 1274 – 19 August 1297), also known as Louis of Anjou, was a Neapolitan prince of the Capetian House of Anjou and a Catholic bishop. Life Louis was born in Brignoles, Provence (or in Italy, at Nocera, whe ...

to the right – the Battuti ran a hospital for the poor and sick so Antony (often prayed to for cures) and Louis (who renounced all worldly honours, including the throne of France) are apt choices. Lotto shows the influence of

Perugino Pietro Perugino ( ; ; born Pietro Vannucci or Pietro Vanucci; – 1523), an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael became his most famous ...

and others by creating a sense of movement through cutting off the top point of the mandorla. Roberta D'Adda, ''Lotto'', Skira, Milano 2004. The landscape in the background may be based on

Feltre Feltre (; ) is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Belluno in Veneto, northern Italy. A hill town in the southern reaches of the province, it is located on the Stizzon River, about from its junction with the Piave, and southwest from Bell ...

, specifically the bell tower and church of its Santuario dei Santi Martiri Vittore e Corona on a rise to the left, its system of bridges in the centre and its castle (as it would have appeared just before its destruction in the

War of the League of Cambrai The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and several other names, was fought from February 1508 to December 1516 as part of the Italian Wars of 1494–1559. The main participants of the war, who fough ...

in 1510) to the right.

References

{{Lorenzo Lotto Paintings by Lorenzo Lotto 1506 paintings Paintings of the Virgin Mary Altarpieces Paintings of Anthony the Great Paintings of Louis of Toulouse