Paintings for a Venetian Palace

These monumental panels tell the story of the romance between the Spartan queen Helen and Paris, a prince of Troy. They were created to celebrate the wedding of Caterina Corner, who with her wedding became queen of Cyprus. A team of three Walters conservators and a curator worked together to bring these paintings to life in an installation suggestive of how Venetians in the Renaissance might have seen them.

Conservation of the painting series was funded in part by the American Council on Italian Matters of Maryland, while the Cini Foundation, Venice, contributed support for the art-historical research. This installation is generously supported by Walters Art Museum members and contributors to the annual fund. Major support has been provided by The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

CURATORS
This installation was curated by Joaneath Spicer, James A. Murnaghan Curator of Renaissance and Baroque Art, with Eric Gordon, Head of Paintings Conservation; Karen French, Senior Paintings Conservator; and Pamela Betts, Senior Paintings Conservator.

ABOVE: Dario di Giovanni, The Departure of Helen and her Entourage for Cythera (detail), 1468. Bequest of Henry Walters, 1931