Figures behind the Parapet

In the Sala dell’Olimpo, Veronese configured the lower part of the vault as a loggia, and standing the balustrade of this loggia are various figures dressed in contemporary clothing. The prevailing interpretation of the woman in patrician garb is that she is Giustinia Giustiniani, the wife of Marcantonio Barbaro; the simply dressed older woman next to her is then the wet nurse of Giustinina’s children. However, there are many arguments against this identification.