[1] It remains in situ in the Basilica di San Zeno, the main church of the Northern Italian city of Verona.

[3] After his work on the San Zeno Altarpiece, Mantegna finally arrived in Mantua in the year 1460 to serve as the court artist to the House of Gonzaga, the leading princely family of the city.

[8] The scholars Steven Zucker and Beth Harris note that the ancient, classical "past" is mostly painted in shades of grays, painted in the style of grisaille (an exception is the colorful garlands of fruit that are tied with red ribbons), while the Christian elements, show in the "present", are denoted by the use of bright, saturating colors.

[1] This subject originated in an Italian painting during the Trecento and refers to an assembly of saints from different periods of history, while surrounding the Madonna and child.

[6][5] In the background of the temple is a continuous decorative frieze that include playful putti holding cornucopia overspilling with fruit.

[6] Surrounding the enthroned Madonna and Child are a group of "Donatellesque" (in the style of Donatello) angels that play musical instruments, specifically the lute, or sing from song books that they hold.

[6] The image of the Crucifixion is at the Louvre Museum in Paris, while the scenes of the Resurrection and Agony in the Garden are in Tours at the Musée des Beaux-Arts.

[4] Despite being smaller components of this altarpiece, these paintings display Mantegna's attention to detail and precision as an artist in his quest to render a memorable and historical depiction of the Passion of Christ in Italian art.

[3][6] Stylistically, Mantegna's use of a continuous narrative that unfolded behind the carved columns and the painted square pilasters creates a unified pictorial plane.

[6] Ostrich eggs were typically hung over altars that were dedicated to the Virgin Mary and can be found in later Italian Renaissance paintings, including Pierro della Francesca's Brera Madonna(1472) and Giovanni Bellini's San Zaccaria Altarpiece (1505).

[9] In addition, the illusionistic portrayal of an oriental carpet in this Renaissance painting, found draped at the foot of the throne on which the Madonna sits, functions as both an expensive and honorific covering, but also allowed Mantegna to show off his skill a painting such a finely crafted object that was produced solely in Islamic lands.

[1][3] Moreover, Mantegna's use of perspective allows the saints and several of the architectural elements and decorations to recede into the space, furthering the illusion of depth.