"Madonna of the Umbrella"
by Girolamo dai libri, 1530

Tempera and oil on canvas, 341 x 180cm
Museo di Castelvecchio, Verona
Inv. 1295-1B0339 (Per gentile concessione della Direzione Musei d’Arte Monumenti di Verona)

This painting represents the most important masterpiece by Girolamo dai Libri, and it once adorned the high altar of the Church of Vittoria Nuova in Verona. Every surface of the panel is exquisitely rendered. Enthroned in the center, the Virgin Mary supports an infant Jesus, who holds the world in his right hand. Saint Joseph, Jesus’s earthly father, stands at left looking up at his family, while the young Tobias and angel Raphael flank the opposite side of the throne. A small cherub holds a parasol over Mary and Jesus, thus providing additional shade along with the verdant oak tree. Towns within a hilly landscape can be seen in the background.