Iacopo Negretti, known as “Palma il Vecchio” (Serina in the province of Bergamo, 1480 – Venice, 1528) was born in Lombardy but trained in Venice. He probably arrived in Venice in the year 1500 or thereabouts, first studying with Giovanni Bellini (together with Giorgione and Titian). He had a particularly idyllic style, enjoying the theme of the Sacred Conversations. Indeed, we know of at least five versions of this subject: in Capodimonte, Naples; in the Thyssen Collection, Lugano; in the Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florence; in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and in the National Museum in Belgrade (recently restored and the last in the series).
These show Palma’s unique style of composition and use of complementary tones and colour.

Palma was also a good portrait artist, his best work being the Portrait of Ariosto (The National Gallery, London). He was clearly influenced by Giorgione, as can also be seen in the soft prosperous blond beauties he painted, such as the Profile of a Girl (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna).
Other major works by Palma "il Vecchio" are: St. Barbara (Santa Maria Formosa, Venice); The Three Sisters (1520, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden) and Giuditta (1525-28, Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florence).

1500 - - rev. 0.1.5