The Presentation of the Virgin Altarpiece is a c. 1515-1517 oil on panel altarpiece by Palma Vecchio, now in the church of Santa Maria Annunziata in Serina, Lombardy, the painter's birthplace. [1]
The work was originally commissioned by the congregation of the Most Holy Rosary for its altarpiece. It was then kept in the sacristy for a time. A restoration in 2015 funded by Credito Bergamasco restored its original colours and rebuilt the bottom of the frame to its original 16th century form [2] - it was carried out by Eugenia De Beni and Leone Algisi, managed by Dr Marina Gargiulo, Soprintendenza ai Beni Storici, Artistici e Etnoantropologici di Milano. [3]
The central panel shows the Presentation of the Virgin below a half-length of Saint Joseph. The two left hand side panels show Saint Apollonia and Saint Philip, whilst the two right hand ones show Blessed Alberto and Francis of Assisi.