Pennnacchi, Pier Maria (attrib.)
The Prophet Jonah

Late 15th / early 16th century
Painted panel
Ceiling, Santa Maria dei Miracoli
Venice, Italy

This is one of several dozen painted panels in the church's coffered ceiling. As far as I know there are no attributes associated with Jonah. Here he is identified simply by the inscription on the banderole. In paleo-Christian art he was usually portrayed as a young man, but in the Middle Ages he is more likely to be yet another gray-bearded prophet.

According to the church's guide book, "The attribution of the painting cycle to Pier Maria Pennacchi (c. 1464-1515) seems to have been a generic label applied long after the diverse figures were painted."

Read more about images of Jonah.

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• Iconography of Jonah
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Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.