The painting is mentioned in several historical documents, since it has been the subject of veneration and devotion, due to its alleged miraculous properties.

[2] It was originally located in the church of San Rocco, annexed to the eponymous Scuola where it is now, although it is unknown if it was on a pillar near the high altar or in a side chapel.

[3] The attribution of the work has been disputed since the 16th century: Giorgio Vasari in both the first (1550) and second (1568) edition of his Lives assigns it to Giorgione and Titian at the same time.

[4] The composition inspired numerous painters in Veneto and Lombardy, such as Lorenzo Lotto, Giovanni Bellini and Andrea Solario.

The profile of the executioner and of the side figures were perhaps inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's drawings, which would be part of Venetian collections at the time.