\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 The dimensions of this work, painted during Antonello da MessinaÆs stay in Venice, lead us to suppose that it was a picture
intended for private devotion. As if it were an icon, the artist depicts the Virgin Mary at half-length. The meticulous depiction of the objects in the painting and the cunning use of light demonstrate the strong influence of Flemish painting on the ar