Paolo Morando

Paolo Morando (1486–1522), also known as il Cavazzola, was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, active mainly in his hometown of Verona. He appears to have been a pupil of Domenico Morone and his son Francesco Morone. He painted in a style resembling that of Giorgione.

He first trained in the bottega of Domenico Morone and later in that of his son, Francesco. His first documented work dates to 1508: it is a Madonna and Child, now preserved in the Castelvecchio Museum. In 1514 he collaborated on the decoration of the San Biagio Chapel in the Church of Saints Nazaro and Celso in Verona, where he showed that he had already reached a pictorial maturity independent of his masters’ teaching.

His masterpiece, however, was created in 1517, when the Compagnia della Croce commissioned him to paint the Polyptych of the Passion for the Church of San Bernardino in Verona. This polyptych, consisting of five canvases and a predella with four panels, shows a skillful combination of the different artistic currents popular in Verona at the time. In addition to the usual references to Venetian and Lombard masters, one can note the influences of Andrea Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, Giovan Francesco Caroto, and even suggestions from Northern Europe.

In the following years, Morando went through a particularly prolific period, alternating works of sacred art with portrait painting. His lively artistic activity came to an abrupt end on 13 August 1522, when death overtook him while still young. His last known work, the Altarpiece of the Virtues, is considered one of his finest canvases. Besides his native city, his works are today displayed in numerous museums across Europe.