Venetian artist of the Venetian-Cretan School. Circa 1500.
"The Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, Saint Barbara and Saint Catherine of Alexandria"
Tempera and gold ground on panel. 28 x 34 cm.
The Venetian-Cretan School is an important, post-Byzantine pictorial School. It
started on the Island of Crete while it was under the governance of the Republic of Venice between 1204 and 1669. This mixture of Byzantine and Latin styles gave rise to a particular pictorial style.
Under this label, there are known Cretan artists who moved to Venice, and who until then had been trained in Cretan craft technique. Once in Venice they painted in the Byzantine style with Italian elements. Our painting is a magnificent and delicate example that also has a wonderful gold background.