Antonio Zanchi (1639-1723), The Assumption
Church of Santa Maria del Giglio
The odd perspective is due to the placement of this image on the ceiling of the church.
Two details from the Golden Legend's account of the Assumption may be relevant to this image. The first is that St. Thomas was absent at the time. The second is that a "prince of priests" of the Jews tried to overturn the bier but immediately his hands cleaved to it "so that he hung by the hands on the bier." As there are twelve men in the image of whom eleven are Apostles, it may be that the bald man with his hand on the rim of the sarcophagus is the priest of the legend.
The shield in the foreground bears the coat of arms of the Barbarigo family. The church was rebuilt in 1678-81 for Admiral Antonio Barbarigo.
View this image in full resolution.
Read more about images of the Assumption.
Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.