Averoldi Polyptych

The Averoldi Polyptych, also known as the Averoldi Altarpiece, is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Titian, dating to 1520–1522, in the basilica church of Santi Nazaro e Celso in Brescia, northern Italy.

It is signed "Ticianus Faciebat / MDXXII" on the column of the panel showing St. Sebastian.

The work was commissioned by Altobello Averoldi, papal legate to Venice, from Titian during the period when he was the official painter of the Republic of Venice. The work was delivered in 1522, as indicated by Titian's signature in the lower right panel. The large polyptych was placed behind the high altar of the church of Santi Nazaro e Celso of Brescia, replacing another altarpiece by Vincenzo Foppa (of which now a Nativity of Jesus remains in the church of Santa Maria Assunta at Chiesanuova, as well as two side panels in the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo). At this time Brescia formed part of Venice's mainland possessions.

A first version of the St. Sebastian panel was offered to Duke Alfonso d'Este of Ferrara in compensation for Titian's late completion of his Bacchanalia. The Duke declined the offer, and the early St. Sebastian was perhaps sent to Mantua, where one such painting is mentioned among the works of art sold by the Gonzaga to Charles I of England. Its whereabouts after that are unknown.

Averoldi subsequently also started to complain about Titian's late delivery.

The use of a compartmentally-divided polyptych, a solution that must have been rather old-fashioned for the time, is likely to have followed a specific request from Averoldi. In any event, Titian managed to produce a certain degree of unity, although not spatially or architecturally, unlike 15th century polyptychs. Instead, the Veneto-born painter adopted a chromatic-dynamic, with a sense of light converging towards the central scene.

The panels are:

The work inspired several Renaissance painters from the Brescia area, including Savoldo and Moretto