On the Wrong House Living in a house on Konnogvardeisky Boulevard, on the facade of which there is a memorial plaque, I noticed that passers-by often pay attention to it. They want to know why it is placed here, what event or person it reminds of. Human

TRUBETSKOY Paolo (Pavel) Petrovich 15 (27) 2.1866 - 12.2.1938 Sculptor. The author of the monument to Alexander III in St. Petersburg. Cousin of E. and S. Trubetskoy. “Trubetskoy was a very tall, slender man. His face was one of those that come across in the paintings of Gozzoli or among knights with

“I want to say a few words here,” Veronese announced. “You see, we artists have the same privileges as poets and lunatics…” The inquisitors shuddered.

A resilient wind blew from the sea, the sky overhead arched like a blue sail, and seagulls screamed over the Grand Canal. Floated in a sunny haze with all its houses and churches Venice, a cheerful, light, festive city. On a hot July afternoon in 1573, Paolo Cagliari wandered thoughtfully through Piazza San Marco. Usually, not a single detail escaped his attentive eye, whether it was a donna sitting on the balcony and combing her golden curls, or a dandy, a boy-servant casting languid glances at her, hurrying somewhere with a large basket and almost running into a lover, or a fat a nurse in a snow-white starched cap, chastising some ragamuffin. Even the beam of sunlight that intricately illuminated the stones of the bridge aroused the admiration of the artist. But today he didn't seem to notice anything around him. His path lay to the Palazzo Ducale - the Doge's Palace, the main building of the republic, within the walls of which all important state affairs were conducted.

Long ago, in 1553, the twenty-five-year-old Veronese, not without timidity, first entered under the arches of this palace. Who was he then? The son of the Verona stone carver Gabriele, who with hard work tried to feed a large family - his wife Katerina and a horde of children. Noticing in Paolo a penchant for drawing, his father assigned his offspring to study with the not-so-famous, but skilled painter Antonio Badile. The boy clearly stood out from the rest of the wards, therefore, having learned that a fellow craft had received an order to decorate one of the halls of the Doge's Palace and was looking for an apprentice to help, signor Antonio put in a word for a capable youngster, and he went to Venice. As a result, it was Paolo who got the main subjects, although he still had a very modest pictorial experience. But, apparently, the guy managed to grab something spilled in the air of this amazing city, and the Venetians liked the talent of the Veronian.

After the Doge's Palace, Veronese - such a nickname he received - was entrusted with the decoration of the church of San Sebastiano, and those who came to look at the murals of the vaults admired what they saw. After some time, the Veronian, among other artists, was called to perform three tondos - round-shaped paintings in the library of San Marco. For this work, the already recognized master of the Venetian school of painting Titian Vecellio, paternally embracing a young colleague, presented him with an award for best work- a golden chain.

Since then, a lot of water has flowed under the canals, Veronese became known not only in the Most Serene Republic, but also far beyond its borders. In 1566 he married the daughter of his teacher, Elena Badila. Having moved to Venice, he painted biblical scenes for the local basilicas, decorated palazzos and villas, and made portraits. Together with his brother Benedetto, he founded a family business, where his sons Carletto and Gabriele also worked. In the studio of Veronese, work did not stop: paintings, mostly huge multi-figure canvases, were eagerly awaited by customers - monks, abbots of churches, rich seniors. And suddenly today the masters, the darling of the muses, were summoned to the court of the Inquisition ...

Admittedly, "Venice" life allowed much more freedom than in other Italian lands. In the Free Trade City, everyone, be it a courtesan, a spy, or a poet, was given the opportunity to do whatever their heart desires. No wonder Pietro Aretino found refuge here. A well-known wit in Europe became famous for his caustic verses that ridiculed important persons, because of which he risked losing his life more than once. Having taken refuge in Venice, Aretino did not leave his occupation, and those offended by him now and then sent tearful complaints to the lord, demanding that the unsuitable rhymer be punished, and the city men languidly, rather for the sake of form, blamed the satirist. After listening to another complaint, he just chuckled and went to party with his bosom friends - the painter Titian and the architect Sansovino. The poet sincerely fell in love with Serenissima, or the Most Serene, as the inhabitants called their homeland, more than once admitting that he would like not to be separated from her even after death and become at least “a ladle with which they scoop water from a gondola.”

Not everyone, however, was to the liking of the Venetian freemen. The freedom that reigned in the minds greatly disturbed the Inquisition. The wealth of the patrician city grew mainly through the efforts of merchants, and their class paid little attention to who adheres to what religious views, the main thing is not to miss the profit. Meanwhile, guests from all over the world sailed to the republic and brought not only goods, but also various “sinful” knowledge about the world order. In addition, nearby, beyond the Alps, lay lands where the ideas of the Reformation spread like a fire across the dry steppe, and the Catholic Church, represented by the Inquisition, waged a fierce struggle against heresies, which was called the Counter-Reformation.

Shortly after Veronese moved to the Serenissima, the Franciscan Felice Peretti, the future Pope Sixtus V, was sent there as grand inquisitor with specific recommendations on how to strengthen the true faith in this troubled area. Peretti first compiled a list of prohibited printed works and presented it to booksellers. They were taken aback: no one had hitherto tried to tell them what to sell, and the ban was ignored. The inquisitor summoned one of the shrews to himself for suggestion, but he did not appear. Then Peretti excommunicated the recalcitrant from the church and personally came to his shop, hung a notice on the door. The anathematized merchant, being not a timid one, complained about the arbitrariness done to the papal nuncio. The viceroy of the pontiff unexpectedly took his side, ordering his colleague to moderate his ardor and not to worry the Venetians in the future. Enraged, Peretti, in turn, sent a complaint to the Pope. And later he demanded to expel the Spanish ambassador from Venice, declaring the diplomat a heretic. Here the doge was already indignant: the inquisitor does not dare to insult the representative of the Habsburg dynasty! Soon the relationship of the zealous Peretti with the authorities escalated to the limit, and he left the city.

However, the popes did not abandon their attempts to call the Venetians to order and introduce the tribunal of the Inquisition on their land, reminding them that church authority is higher than any other. The townspeople eventually surrendered, but only agreed to a trial involving secular representatives from their Council of Ten, and at the same time insisted that no death sentences be handed down to those who stumble. But still, the Inquisition remained a punishing body, and the mere thought of meeting with this company chilled the blood in the veins of the townspeople. Who knows how things will turn out if you fall into the hands of the monks? ..

Veronese guessed why he had been called. When in 1571 a fire destroyed Titian's "Last Supper" in the refectory of the monastery of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, the brothers asked the illustrious master to paint a new picture. But he, despite his very respectable age (he was over eighty), referred to an urgent order and advised him to turn to Veronese, who was especially distinguished from all Venetian artists.

The work lasted for more than a year, and in April 1573 the members of the monastery were presented with a canvas that was larger than any previously painted by a Veronian. In the center, as expected, he depicted the Savior with the apostles in traditional clothes, and around him, everyone he wanted to see at the table, dressed in the latest fashion, but not a modest chamber, as in the gospel scene, but a luxurious palace.

After the "Last Supper" took its place in the refectory, crowds of curious lay people rushed into the monastery. Rumors, of course, reached the inquisitors. Those, "enjoying" what they saw, ordered the reverend fathers to force the painter to correct inaccuracies. For example, remove the dog sitting at the table and place Mary Magdalene there, washing the feet of the Lord. The abbot conveyed to the artist the will of the tribunal.

But how will Mary Magdalene wash the feet of Christ if he is on the other side of the table? Paolo was surprised.

There are other remarks ... - the monk hesitated. - In the picture, according to the inquisitors, there are a lot of extra people.

Yes, instead of the sacrament, Veronese turned out to be a feast, similar to which he has already written several. And on other canvases, he also allowed himself all sorts of liberties. Take, for example, "The Marriage in Cana of Galilee" on the gospel story about how, having come to the wedding feast, Jesus turned water into wine. On the canvas, in addition to Christ, the Mother of God and the apostles, the artist depicted another hundred extra guests by your own choice. Emperor Charles V is next to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and the roles of musicians are played by artists - Titian, Tintoretto and Jacopo Bassano. In the foreground of the picture, dressed in snow-white clothes, with a viola and a bow in his hands, is the author himself. The catch is that he gave free rein to his imagination in a work not secular, but ecclesiastical, performed for the monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Veronese liked to depict feasts, resorting to bright colors, as if washed with clean water. The very atmosphere of the rich city-republic was distinguished by festivity. Women here dressed in silk, generously decorated themselves with precious stones and pearls, beloved by the daughters of the sea. Their curls were cast in gold, because every charmer knew how to achieve such an amazing effect: “Take four ounces of centaury,” one of the recipes said, “two ounces of gum arabic and an ounce of hard soap, put it on fire, let it boil and then dye your hair with it on Sun". However, their men were reputed to be no less fashionistas. And what celebrations arranged the Venetians! On special days, buildings and squares were decorated with velvet and brocade, covered with carpets, gondolas were cleaned with rich fabrics. Hundreds of well-dressed people filled the streets, rowing boats down the canals, watching from balconies and windows, and conversations in twelve languages ​​were heard everywhere. One flashes a black satin cloak of a Spanish grandee or a French doublet, then an oriental turban or a fez. A sea of ​​people, a sea of ​​colors. How could someone living in Serene Veronese not love the holiday? And he loved to write noisy, flamboyant collections. The crowdedness of his works came from the fullness of Venetian life. In addition, in the damp climate of the city standing on the water, wall paintings were poorly preserved, so oil painting came in handy here and paintings began to play the role of frescoes.

Huge, densely populated canvases were also created by Paolo's fellow craft, who was ten years older, Jacopo Robusti, nicknamed Tintoretto, that is, a dyer (his father owned this profession). More than once, together with Veronese, they decorated the same buildings, for example, the Doge's Palace. Having entered training with Titian as a teenager, Jacopo quickly left the workshop, but no one really knew why: it was rumored that the master saw a dangerous rival in the young man. However, he did not disappear and quickly enough got into the ranks of the first painters. The paths of Veronese and Tintoretto first crossed when the brotherhood of San Rocco (Saint Roch) was looking for a master who would paint canvases from the life of his heavenly patron. Several applicants, including Veronese, brought sketches, but Tintoretto did not submit sketches - he immediately presented finished painting, secretly fixing it on the ceiling! Raising their heads, the brothers acknowledged that the future executor of the order had been found.

He painted several dozen canvases, receiving a relatively modest payment for them. But money was not very interested in Jacopo, however, like Veronese, who bought in excess of paint with canvases and even costumes - to dress up the sitters. Both were engaged in painting selflessly, addicted to it and their children. Even the daughter of Tintoretto became an artist, which was a rarity in those days. Marietta, like her brother Domenico, painted beautiful portraits. The Spanish king Philip II and the German emperor Maximilian called the talented girl to work at their courts, but she chose to stay with her father in his workshop.

In general, the artists living in Venice, if they left the Serene Highness, then with a heavy heart: in other parts, they, like a fish thrown ashore, lacked air. Both Titian and Veronese, of course, visited Rome, worked there, admired the beauties the eternal city, but only on the shores of the native lagoon they painted pictures that the senior comrade of Verona compared with poetry.

However, the festive spirit of the city and poetry Venetian painting were not a reason for the inquisitors to mock the Holy Scriptures. The Council of Trent, which took place not so long ago, strongly condemned all kinds of liberties, including the violation of the canons of church art. The artist was only allowed to let his imagination run wild when he was commissioned to decorate, for example, a palazzo or a villa.

By the way, when the brothers Daniele and Marcantonio Barbaro from a noble Venetian family invited Paolo to decorate their country house on the Terraferma, built by Andrea Palladio, Veronese did not even think of embarrassing himself with some kind of framework. The eldest of the brothers, Daniele, was one of the first to see the talent of the painter. Signor Barbaro was generally well versed in art, he wrote poetry himself and translated into Italian the works of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius. For some time he served as ambassador to England, then the pope elevated him to the rank of cardinal and appointed him to the honorary position of patriarch of Aquileia. Marcantonio also had the gift of a diplomat; he was rector of the University of Padua during the years when Galileo Galilei taught there.

The brothers gave Veronese complete freedom, and the master used the technique of "deception", opening the house outward: he depicted windows to the sky on the vaults, and open doors to the garden on the walls. From the upper balconies, the hosts look at the incoming guests, in the illusory doorway, either a hunter or a girl peering into the hall appears. Thanks to the life-loving artist, the villa turned out to be filled with jokes - the author seemed to be calling on the owners and their guests: let's play and enjoy the fun!

And today he himself is not at all in the mood for fun ... Veronese crossed the threshold of the gloomy room where the clerks were sitting. Usually the suspects were awaiting trial and sentence here, but now the artist saw no one except the secretaries. He cast an anxious glance at the stone lion's mouths, into the holes of which, like mailboxes, citizens of the republic threw complaints and denunciations, including anonymous ones - the law obliged to consider any. Under the very roof were cells where the unfortunate prisoners languished, suffering from unbearable heat in summer and cold in winter.

The secretary called Paolo Cagliari Veronese to the same hall of the Council of Ten, in which the cases of political criminals were dealt with and the Inquisition met. Entering, Veronese raised his head to the ceiling - to the large oval canvases, painted in his youth by himself. On one, Jupiter threw lightning at sinners, or rather at allegorical figures that personified vices. Then he shifted his gaze to the Holy Tribunal. Seated at the table were Inquisitor Aurelio Scellino in a black Dominican cassock, the Patriarch of Venice, a nuncio and a representative of the secular authorities. The inquisitor, after asking a few formal questions, asked:

How many have you depicted in your painting and what are they doing?

I wrote the owner of the house, below - the person who usually cuts the meat: he came to find out if he was needed, and just out of interest.

The inquisitor's eyebrows crept up: this blessed one admits that he drew an incomprehensible person who came to the Last Supper!

There are many more figures there," Veronese continued, "I can't even remember them all...

In the picture, in addition to the characters indicated in the gospel story, there were luxuriously dressed Venetian patricians and servants serving them, on the left on the stairs a man with a napkin in his hand leaned on the railing, apparently he had just left the table. On the right, a black servant whispered something to his patron. Numerous people eating and drinking were animatedly communicating with each other and felt absolutely at ease at the biblical feast, without showing much reverence for the Lord. One of the heroes of the picture, the same owner of the palace, looking like an aristocrat, in an elegant suit, said something, gesticulating, and strangely resembled Veronese himself.

You have too much extra, - said the head of the tribunal. - What kind of person is this, for example, whose nose is bleeding?

Servant, Paolo answered readily. - He bled from some accident.

The three members of the court looked at each other, and the representative of the Council of Ten looked down at his papers with an air of deliberate aloofness.

And what do armed men dressed as Germans mean? The inquisitor's gaze hardened.

The defendant, on the contrary, cheered up:

Here I want to say a few words. You see, we artists have the same privileges as poets and lunatics...

The inquisitors shuddered, and the signor of the Council of Ten bent even lower over the table so that his involuntary smile would not be noticed: this Cagliari is dexterous!

Yes, yes, like poets and madmen, Veronese repeated loudly, even passionately. - I placed men with halberds on the stairs - one of them drinks, but both are ready to do their duty - because it seemed to me that the owner of the house, a noble and rich man, could have such servants. Why not?

And the one dressed as a jester, with a parrot - for what?

For decoration. Such characters are often inserted into paintings.

But who are all these people, - Scellino exclaimed irritably, - whom you portrayed at the Last Supper of the Lord? Do you think they were present?

I know that only Jesus and the apostles were there. However, I had free space left on the canvas, and I decorated it with figures that I invented myself.

The inquisitor gazed in amazement at such innocence: really, these painters are a match for the insane. But then his bewilderment was replaced by suspicion:

Maybe someone asked you to write there Germans, jesters and the like?

No, I was commissioned to have a painting that I could decorate as I saw fit.

Do you know that Germany and other countries are afflicted with heresy, and it is a common thing in them to place various absurdities in pictures in order to mock the shrines of our Catholic Church and thereby teach uneducated people a false faith?

I agree, this is wrong, but I follow the examples given to me by the mentors.

And what did these mentors draw - pictures like yours?

In Rome, in the papal chapel, Michelangelo painted our Lord Jesus Christ, His Mother, Saints John and Peter naked...

Mention " doomsday» Michelangelo Buonarroti in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican puzzled Scellino. After the Council of Trent, the Pope instructed to correct appearance fresco characters. The artist soon died, and one of his students was assigned to “dress” the depicted. Is Veronese trying to convince the commission that he's not aware of what's going on?

In Michelangelo's painting there are no clowns, no warriors, no other buffoonery like yours, - continued the inquisitor. - And you still justify your unworthy creation!

It turned out, despite everything Veronese created for the benefit of the churches and in the name of glorifying the republic - to recall at least the canvas that immortalized the significant battle of Lepanto, when the united Christian fleet defeated the Turks - regardless of any merits, his "Last Supper" is now considered a heresy that tramples established canons? What could follow the condemning words of the inquisitor?

Your Eminence, - trying to cope with the excitement, said Veronese, - I did not even think of making excuses, believing that I did everything in the best way. I didn't even know something like this would happen. But I did not place the jester in the room where the Lord sits ...

The judge, obviously realizing that he could not achieve more, declared the interrogation over. The tribunal ruled: Veronese must correct the shortcomings within three months.

Well, he got off pretty lightly, but what did "fix" mean? Remove two-thirds of the shapes by painting them or by cropping the canvas? It is impossible to think of anything more stupid, but the sentence had to be executed, otherwise the tribunal would resort to more severe measures. And Veronese - oh, this cunning Veronese! found a smart way out. He went to the monastery where the picture hung, and announced to the brothers that he was going to make changes to it. The monks were puzzled: it would not be easy to remove the giant canvas from the wall, but Veronese reassured them, assuring them that he could handle it himself. Then he took a brush, dipped it in paint and drew on the cornices and plinths of the balustrade in Latin: on the left - "And Levi made a great treat for Him", on the right - a reference to the corresponding place in the Gospel of Luke. IN Holy Scripture It says, “After this, Jesus went out and saw a publican named Levi sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, Follow me. And he, leaving everything, got up and followed Him. And Levi made a great feast for him in his house; and there were many tax collectors and others who reclined with them.” All the "extra" characters of Veronese could now pass for guests. He just changed the plot - it turned out that with his canvases-festivities it is easy, and "The Last Supper" turned into "Feast in the House of Levi".

Less than ten years later, the painter was again summoned to the Doge's Palace, but now, fortunately, not to the court of the Inquisition. There was a terrible fire in the hall of the Great Council, and the fire destroyed the paintings that adorned it, including the brushes of Veronese. The craftsmen were asked to take part in the new decoration of the premises. His "Triumph of Venice" symbolized the power of the Most Serene, depicted as a blooming woman, who is crowned by an angel. And although the noon of the Serenissima had already passed, on the canvas of the master the republic was still invincible and powerful.

Paolo at that time was no longer young and increasingly took up dramatic themes. Several times he wrote Lamentation for Christ. One of the canvases, executed for the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo and now located in the Hermitage, is permeated with bright sadness, tenderness and hope. Did the artist think that his art would “run away from decay”?

Veronese died on April 19, 1588 from pneumonia. In the church of San Sebastiano, the same one that he decorated for many years, a modest tombstone points to his resting place. And the famous painting “Feast in the House of Levi” after more than two centuries was taken to Paris by Napoleon. After the fall of Bonaparte, the Venetians returned their masterpiece, and now it is exhibited in the Accademia Gallery.

Visited Venice after another hundred years Mikhail Vrubel so expressed his main impression of the trip: "Artists are only Venetians."

Exhibition “Venice of the Renaissance. Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese. From the collections of Italy and Russia” takes place at the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin until August 20.

Paolo Veronese. Self-portrait.1558-1563.

"Feast in the House of Levi". 1573

In the center of the canvas is the figure of Christ, given, unlike the others, against the background of the sky; with her pale pink tunic, she stands out among the participants in the feast. Not a single detail escapes the artist! He not only placed Judas on the other side of the table from the Teacher, but also forced him to turn away. His attention is diverted by a Negro servant pointing at a dog watching a cat playing under a table with a bone.

In the art galleries of the world, you can often see large paintings with many figures written on them. These are "Marriage in Cana of Galilee", "Feast in the House of Levi" and others, under which there is a signature - Paolo Veronese. True, at first glance, these canvases may seem strange. Against the backdrop of beautiful buildings of the Renaissance, in beautiful and rich halls with columns and arches in the style of the 15th-16th centuries, a large elegant society was housed. And everyone in this society, except Christ and Mary, is dressed in luxurious costumes, which were worn in those days (that is, in the 16th century). There are Turkish sultans in his paintings, and hunting dogs, and black dwarfs in bright costumes...

Such was Veronese, who paid little attention to whether his paintings were consistent with history. All he wanted was for everything to be beautiful. And he achieved this, and with it great fame. The Doge's Palace in Venice has many beautiful paintings by Paolo Veronese. Some of them are mythical, others are allegorical, but the artist dressed all the figures in the costumes of his era.

Veronese lived most of his life in Venice. Visiting other cities, he got acquainted with the work of his colleagues, admired their paintings, but did not imitate anyone. Veronese was very fond of painting scenes of various feasts and meetings, in which he depicted all the luxury of the then Venice. This was not an artist-philosopher studying his subject to the smallest detail. It was an artist who was not constrained by any barriers, he is free and magnificent even in his negligence.

Veronese's favorite story was The Last Supper. The artist turned to a topic that was by no means traditional for Venice. If for Florentine artists such themes as "Marriage in Cana of Galilee" and "The Last Supper" were familiar, then the Venetian painters did not turn to them for quite a long time, the plot of the Lord's meals did not attract them until the middle of the 16th century.

The first significant attempt of this kind was made only in the 1540s, when Tintoretto painted his Last Supper for the Venetian church of San Marcuola. But a decade later, the situation suddenly and dramatically changes. The Lord's Meals are becoming one of the most favorite themes of Venetian painters and their customers, churches and monasteries seem to compete with each other, ordering monumental canvases from major masters. For 12-13 years, at least thirteen huge “Feasts” and “Last Supper” are created in Venice (among them the already mentioned “Marriage in Cana of Galilee” by Tintoretto, “Marriage in Cana of Galilee” by Veronese himself for the reflection of the church of San George Maggiore, his own paintings "Christ at Emmaus" and "Christ in the House of Simon the Pharisee", "The Last Supper" by Titian, etc.). Veronese painted his “Last Supper” - the most grandiose of feasts (the height of the painting is 5.5 meters and a width of about 13 meters) in 1573 for the reflection of the monastery of Saints John and Paul to replace Titian’s “Last Supper” that had burned down two years before.

In all the "feasts" of Veronese there is a clear shade of triumph, almost apotheosis. They appear in the festive atmosphere of these paintings, and in their majestic scope, they appear in all the details - whether it is the posture of Christ or the gestures with which the participants in the meals raise the bowls of wine. In this triumph, the Eucharistic symbolism also plays a significant role - a lamb on a platter, bread, wine ...

The painting "The Last Supper" depicted Christ and his disciples at a feast at the publican (tax collector) Levi, and in no other work by Veronese before this architecture had taken such a place as in this picture. The restraint that was on the canvas “Marriage in Cana of Galilee” has also disappeared: here the guests behave noisily and freely, enter into disputes and bickering among themselves, their gestures are too harsh and free.

As the gospel text tells, Levi invited other publicans to his feast, and Veronese writes their greedy, sometimes repulsive physiognomies. Rude warriors, efficient servants, jesters and dwarfs are also located here. Little attractive are other characters that are highlighted by the columns. To the right is a fat cup-bearer with a swollen face, to the left - a major-domo steward. His head thrown back, sweeping gestures, not quite firm gait indicate that he clearly paid a considerable tribute to drinks.

It is not surprising that the Catholic Church saw in such a free interpretation of the gospel text a discrediting of the sacred plot, and Veronese was summoned to the tribunal of the Inquisition. The artist was asked to explain how he dared, while interpreting the sacred plot, to introduce jesters, drunken soldiers, a servant with a bloody nose and "other nonsense" into the picture. Veronese did not feel any particular guilt for himself, he was a good Catholic, he fulfilled all the prescriptions of the church, no one could accuse him of any disrespectful comments about the pope or adherence to the Lutheran heresy. But the members of the tribunal did not eat their bread in vain. No one answered the artist's greeting, no one even wished to express his sympathy with a glance. They sat with cold, indifferent faces, and he had to answer to them. They knew well that it was in their power to torture the artist, rot in the dungeons, and even execute him.

How should he behave? Deny everything or repent? Respond to cunning with cunning or pretend to be a simpleton? Veronese himself understood that in essence he created a picture of the life of Venice - beautiful, decorative, free. Where else, besides Venice, could one see such a three-arched loggia that occupied three-quarters of the picture? And what about the marble palaces and beautiful towers that can be seen in the spans of arches against the blue-blue sky? Let the judges come out to St. Mark's Square, to the sea, where the famous columns with statues of St. Theodore (the ancient patron of Venice) and the lion of St. Mark loom against the background of the shining southern sky. By the way, a lot could be said about how people were executed and tortured for many centuries at these very columns by order of the Council of Ten and without an order. Then they will find out what inspired him when he painted his picture.

Of course, he did not depict contemporaries of biblical characters, giving free rein to his imagination; Of course, the crowd of guests is noisy and excessively cheerful, and therefore terrible questions fall on Veronese: “What do you think, who was present with Christ at the Last Supper?” - “I believe that only the apostles ...” - “Why did you depict in this picture the one who is dressed like a jester, in a wig with a bun?”, “What do these people mean, armed and dressed like Germans, with a halberd in his hand? ”... And Veronese appears in the tribunal as an artist and indeed seems quite carefree in the plot of his paintings, guided only by his imagination and desire for ornamento: “I had an order to decorate the picture according to my understanding, since it is large and can accommodate many figures."

Scientists note that the interpretation of "feasts" as the triumph of Christ had another important meaning for Veronese. In Venice, the veneration of Christ, as well as the cult of Mary and St. Mark, was also associated with political myths and traditions. The transfer of the body of St. Mark in the 9th century to the newly founded city and the announcement of the apostle as the patron of this city equated Venice with another apostolic city - Rome. Many memorable dates in Venice were associated with the cult of Mary - from its founding on the day of the Annunciation to the presentation by Pope Alexander III to the Venetian Doge of a betrothal ring with the sea on the day of the Ascension of Mary. This rite was arranged with unprecedented pomp and splendor. The Doge, the supreme ruler of the Venetian Republic, elected for life and endowed with the dignity of a sovereign prince, rode out in a luxurious galley trimmed with gold and silver, with purple masts, to throw a golden ring into the sea. Jesus Christ was considered the patron of state power in the person of the Doge as the representative and symbol of Seremssima - the Clearest Republic of St. Mark. It is known that in some public celebrations (in particular, in the Easter ritual), the Doge, as it were, embodied Christ and spoke on his behalf.

Thus, the "feasts" of Veronese conceal a whole world of ideas, traditions, ideas and legends - majestic and significant.

And the members of the tribunal of the Inquisition "On the 18th of the day, July 1573, on Saturday decided that Paolo Veronese should correct his picture in the best possible way, removing from it jesters, weapons, dwarfs, a servant with a broken nose - everything that is not in accordance with the true piety." But when Veronese staggered out of the tribune’s meeting, he already knew that under no circumstances would he agree to fulfill these requirements ... And he improved the picture in a very peculiar way: he changed the title, and The Last Supper turned into “Feast in the House of Levi ".