Save Venice is seeking a sponsor for the conservation of Leandro Bassano’s The Discovery of the Body of Saint John Damascene.

*Published sponsorship costs are subject to change due to conservation plan modifications and fluctuations in exchange rates.

Please contact araby@savevenice.org today for more information and the latest cost estimates.

Painted by Leandro Bassano, son of Jacopo Bassano, The Discovery of the Body of Saint John Damascene was likely commissioned by the Dominican friars of the Venetian Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo—often referred to as the pantheon of the Venetian doges. This large canvas was specifically created to adorn the Cappella della Madonna della Pace, a chapel that once stood between the basilica and the adjacent Scuola Grande di San Marco (whose façade was restored in 2000-2005 by Save Venice).

The chapel housed a miraculous icon that, according to tradition, inspired a vision of the Virgin Mary and miraculously restored the severed hand of Saint John Damascene. Donated to the Dominicans in 1349 by Paolo Morosini, this miracle working icon was placed on the altar of the Cappella della Madonna della Pace in 1503. Around the 1610s, Leandro Bassano’s painting was installed to the right of the icon, enhancing the devotional space. The painting was moved from the chapel to the Dominican basilica in 1799, where it remained until the devastating fire that destroyed the Cappella del Rosario in 1867. In 1893, the painting was acquired by the Demanio and became part of the Gallerie dell’Accademia’s collection, which later transferred it to the Museo Civico in Bassano del Grappa.

Leandro Bassano’s painting depicts an extraordinarily rare and captivating subject. The earliest known description appears in art critic Carlo Ridolfi’s Maraviglie dell’Arte (1648), where he recounts it as “a miracle that befell a devout servant of Our Lady, from whose mouth—after he had been buried—there sprang a tree, and upon its leaves was imprinted the words: Ave Maria. And this man was disinterred in the presence of the Bishop, the Virgin Herself appearing above, bearing witness.” Later accounts of the chapel mention two additional paintings once displayed to the left of the miraculous icon, depicting the restoration of the saint’s severed hand. Together, these three canvases and the icon formed a unified narrative cycle honoring Saint John Damascene and his unwavering devotion to the Virgin Mary—whose miraculous image, by divine will, found its home in Venice, where it continues to be venerated by the city’s faithful as God’s chosen people.

The painting displays six horizontal canvas seams, which are more pronounced than typically expected. This issue will be addressed during the upcoming relining process. Additional conservation measures will include the removal of the thick, yellowed varnish that currently obscures the painted surface, as well as the stabilization of areas with lifting paint and paint losses. Furthermore, previous restorations—characterized by discolored and mismatched inpainting—will be carefully reassessed and corrected where necessary.

Leandro dal Ponte, called Bassano (1557–1622)
The Discovery of the Body of Saint John Damascene
c. 1610s, oil on canvas
531 x 337 cm

Ericani, Giuliana and Federica Millozzi (eds.). I Bassano del Museo di Bassano. Cinisello Balsamo (MI): Silvana, 2016

Magagnato, Licisco (ed.). Mostra di dipinti dei Bassano recentemente restaurati, exhibition catalogue (Bassano, Museo Civico 20 luglio-30 novembre 1952). Vicenza: Neri Pozza, 1952

Magagnato, Licisco and Bruno Passamani (eds.). Il Museo civico di Bassano del Grappa: dipinti dal XIV al XX secolo. Vicenza: Neri Pozza, 1978

Ridolfi, Carlo. Maraviglie dell’Arte. Venice: Giovanni Battista Sgava, 1648

Walberg, Deborah. Tradition and Propaganda in the Venetian Madonna della Pace. “IKON,” 9, 2016, pp. 1-14. Link to the article