Restored in 1985 with Save Venice general funds.

Francesco Fontebasso apprenticed with Sebastiano Ricci (1639–1754) and was also a follower of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1698–1770). Fontebasso’s theatrical illumination focuses the viewer’s attention upon the main protagonist, Saint Leonard. The other figures in the altarpiece include Saints Andrew, Lorenzo Giustiniani, and Nicholas of Bari. The latter two were particularly venerated by the local population, for Lorenzo Giustiniani was a Venetian saint and the first patriarch of the city, and relics of Nicholas of Bari were housed in Venice at San Nicolò al Lido.

Among the numerous figures depicted in this altarpiece, Saint Leonard occupies the central position, which speaks to the actual dedication of the altar. The saint is depicted in hermit’s dress along with his attributes: book, cross, and chain. Leonard was a Frankish noble who converted to Christianity at the end of the fifth century; he asked for and was granted special privileges in the pardoning of prisoners, hence the chain. It has been proposed that the iconography suggests a secondary altar dedication as an ex-voto to freed prisoners. Particular devotion to Saint Leonard at San Salvador follows a long tradition initiated by two Venetian pilgrims who belonged to the adjoining monastery of Augustinian Canons.

The work was restored by conservators Serafino and Ferruccio Volpin, with the guidance of project director Ettore Merkel of the Superintendency of Fine Arts of Venice.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Francesco Fontebasso (1709-1769)
Altarpiece of Saints Leonard, Lorenzo Giustiniani, Andrew, and Nicholas of Bari
1729, oil on canvas
347 x 195 cm