Sleeping Venus

This painting is one of the most famous works in the collection. A masterly harmony lies over the sleeping figure and the wide landscape. It is the first large-scale representation of a female nude painted in Venice. Before this, the motif had only been used for small-scale panels for wedding chests. Moreover, for the first time a figure has been convincingly situated in the depth of space. Not only Palma il Vecchio, but generations of artists have been inspired by this painting.