VENETIAN PAINTER OF THE XVI-XVII CENTURY Cycle of five canvases depicting episodes from the life of Caterina Cornaro Queen of Cyprus The ceding of the government and crown of Cyprus in exchange for Asolo by Queen Caterina Cornaro to Pietro Gradenigo Oil on canvas, 90.5X128.5 cm The Landing of Caterina Cornaro in Venice Oil on canvas, cm 90X377 Caterina Cornaro handing the crown of Cyprus to Doge Agostino Barbarigo Oil on canvas, cm 90X352 Men in armour Oil on canvas, cm 90.5X127.5 Figures of bystanders Oil on canvas, cm 91X60,5 (5) Provenance: Cremona, Picenardi Collection The canvases presented here are ascribed to a Venetian artist active during the early 17th century and depict highlights of the life of Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, who, in 1489, was forced to abdicate and cede her kingdom to the Venetian Republic. Back home, Caterina received from the Serenissima the castle of Asolo of which she became 'Domina' (Lady), while also retaining the title of 'rejna de Jerusalem Cypri et Armeniae' and the annual income of 8000 ducats. The cycle under examination describes the salient moments of the story in the following sequence: 'The handing over of the government and crown of Cyprus in exchange for Asolo by Queen Caterina Cornaro to Pietro Gradenigo', 'Caterina Cornaro's landing in Venice' and 'Caterina Cornaro hands over the crown of Cyprus to Doge Agostino Barbarigo'. Having said this, the story of Caterina was repeatedly tackled by Venetian artists and one only has to think of the marble bas-relief by Giovanni Battista della Porta in the church of San Salvador in Venice (cf. S. Tumidei, Sculpture and painting compared, in Venice, in the age of Vittoria, in La bellissima maniera. Alessandro Vittoria e la scultura veneta del Cinquecento, Trento 1999, pp. 120-121, 124 no. 81), the canvas by Antonio Vassilacchi known as l'Aliense conserved at the Museo Correr and the canvas by Gerolamo Bassano.