Palma il Vecchio

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Violante by Palma il Vecchio (c. 1520), at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Palma il Vecchio (1480 - July 1528), born Jacopo Palma or known as Jacopo Negretti, was an Italian painter of the Venetian school was born at Serinalta near Bergamo. He is called Palma il Vecchio (Palma the Elder) to distinguish him from Palma il Giovane, his grand-nephew.

When Palma arrived in Venice early in the 16th century, he reputedly was a companion and competitor of Lorenzo Lotto, and to some extent a pupil of Titian. He may also have taught Bonifazio Pitati. Vecchio's earlier works betray the influence of the Bellini. Palma's style, influenced by the study of Giorgione and Titian, places him at the top among the distinctly Venetian painters considered second rank below the leading masters.

Vechhio's work demonstrates superior richness of color, but he did not excel with regard to invention nor vigorous draughtsmanship.

His paintings frequently feature his (so-called) daughter Violante, of whom Titian was said to be enamoured. Famous works by Palma include a composition of six paintings in the Venetian church of S. Maria Formosa, with St Barbara in the centre, under the dead Christ, and to right and left SS. Dominic, Sebastian, John Baptist and Anthony. A second work is in the Dresden Gallery, representing three sisters seated in the open air; it is frequently named The Three Graces. A third fine work, discovered in Venice in 1900, is a portrait supposed to represent Violante. Other leading examples are: the Last Supper, in S. Maria Mater Domini; a Madonna, in the church of S. Stefano in Vicenza; the Epiphany, (Brera Gallery, Milan); the Holy Family with a young shepherd,(Louvre, Paris);The Holy Family with St. Catherine, St. John and Donor White casttle Beli Dvor , Belgrade , St Stephen and other Saints, Christ and the Widow of Nain and the Assumption of the Virgin, (Accademia, Venice); and Christ at Emmaus (Pitti Palace).

The beautiful portrait of the National Gallery, London, with a background of foliage, originally described as Ariosto- and as by Titian, and now reascribed to that master, was for some years assumed to be an unknown work by Palma the Elder. It certainly more resembles Titian's work than Palma's. In 1907 The Staedel Institute in Frankfort acquired an important work by Palma the Elder, identified by its director as an illustration of Ovid's second Metamorphosis, and named Jupiter and Calisto.