Le "Storie di Ester": tracce di un inedito ciclo di Veronese per Marcantonio Barbaro

Thanks to Carlo Ridolfi’s description, a canvas recently auctioned off has been recognized as the seventh episode of a cycle – until now considered lost – executed by Veronese for Marcantonio Barbaro and originally composed of seven pieces depicting the Story of Esther. Rx analysis, showing a couple of significant pentimenti, confirms that the canvas is the original version. Its formal aspects not only recall Paolo’s style but also allow us to date the work in the ninth decade of the XVIth century. Beyond this, relating Ridolfi’s words to the newly discovered canvas helps us to explore the long-lasting relationship between the painter and Marcantonio Barbaro. Last, our knowledge of the cycle has been further enriched by the discovery of another canvas belonging to the XVIIth century, and depicting the third episode. Again, this painting appears to be compatible with the information supplied by Ridolfi, according to whom, in the XVIIth century, some copies were drawn from this series by Veronese.