Pennnacchi, Pier Maria (attrib.)
Uriah

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. The man pictured is labeled URIAS PA, the Latin for "Uriah" and an abbreviation that probably means "Patriarcha" but might here mean "Propheta." There are two Uriahs in scripture, but it is a mystery why either of them would be included in the ceiling panels. The more well-known of them was Uriah the Hittite, the first husband of Bathsheba, whom David contrived to have killed (2 Samuel 11:1-17). He was a soldier, not a prophet, and there is no mention of his having any offspring. The other Uriah was a temple priest who served in the time of King Ahaz (2 Kings 16:10-16). For him also there is no mention of offspring, nor was he a 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."

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