Antonio da Vendri, 'The Giusti Family of Verona (?)', probably about 1520

A group of six men and nine women stand at the foot of a hill at the bottom of a steep rocky path. Some of them clasp their hands in prayer and look towards the summit of the hill, while others face in other directions. The men are divided from the women, as was usual at the time. One of the men has removed his hat in reverence and it hangs from the tips of his fingers. They wear a range of luxurious contemporary costumes and at least one of the women appears to be dressed as a nun.

The range of ages and similarities of appearance suggest that these are all members of one family. They have traditionally been identified as the Giusti family of Verona, although none of the family can be identified by comparison with other portraits. The Giusti were a wealthy noble family with a fine palace in Verona set in celebrated gardens, which can still be visited today.

This fragment was originally the bottom of an altarpiece, possibly by Antonio da Vendri, which was probably in the church of S. Maria in Stelle, just outside the city of Verona. The upper part apparently showed the Virgin and Child with saints, and the family members were originally looking up at them. The men stand on the Virgin and Child’s right-hand side, in the position of honour. Another fragment in Verona shows Saints Sebastian and Roch, who were frequently called upon in times of plague. It is likely that they also stood on the summit of the hill, flanking the Virgin and Child.

A plague in 1511–12 killed 13,000 inhabitants of Verona, and this altarpiece may have been commissioned in thanks for the family’s survival. It may also commemorate family members who died. This may explain why some of the figures are facing towards the Virgin and Child giving thanks, while others are facing outwards towards us. The altarpiece for S. Maria della Scala in Verona painted by Gerolamo dai Libri and Paolo Morando in 1518, also in the National Gallery’s collection, includes the Virgin and Child with Saints Sebastian and Roch, and was also commissioned in response to this devastating outbreak of plague in Verona.

Situated between Mantua, Padua, Venice and Milan, the city of Verona was at the crossroads of artistic influences and this is evident in the works produced there. The focus on naturalistic detail inspired by Northern European artists is combined with the rich colour of Venetian art and the sculptural style of Paduan painting derived from works by Mantegna.