本书首次向读者展示了一个长期隐藏的充满美丽而复杂的图像的世界，并讲述了关于个人牺牲，政治操纵和家庭阴谋的故事。对书中这些小型油画的分析为乔瓦尼•贝利尼，提香和维罗内塞等艺术家的经典作品以及陵墓雕塑和公共纪念馆开辟了新的视角。关于威尼斯及其海外领土的艺术赞助的大量原始资料促进了对为国家和威尼斯帝国服务的艺术的更深入的了解。

For patricians in the Republic of Venice, paintings in manuscripts marking their appointment to high office expressed a tension between selfless service and individual ambition. Originally of value in confirming and instructing an elected officer, these unique documents were transformed through art into enduring monuments promoting state ideals, individual status, and family memory. This book introduces the reader to a long-hidden world of beautiful and complex images, and to tales of personal sacrifice, political maneuvering, and family intrigue. Analysis of these small paintings within books opens up new perspectives on canonical works by such artists as Giovanni Bellini, Titian, and Veronese, as well as on tomb sculptures and public memorials. Extensive original material on artistic patronage in Venice and its territories abroad encourages an expanded understanding of art in the service of the state and of Venice as empire.