Attributed to Jacopo Negretti, Palma il Vecchio (Serina, nr. Bergamo c. 1480-1528 Venice)

This picture, which had evidently been repainted as early as 1778, is the only known version of the composition and was designed by Palma. His personal involvement could only be assessed after cleaning.

John Barnard (d. 1784), whose inscription on the reverse is similar to his collectors mark (Lugt 1420), is better known for his holdings of drawings than for his pictures. He lived in Berkley Square and collected from the 1730s onwards. The pictures he returned were sold by his nephew and heirs, Thomas Hankey, at Christie's, 7-8 June 1799.