Room of Italian Art of the 16th Century

This room belonged to the courtyard-side suite of rooms in the Old (Large) Hermitage that was decorated by Andrei Stakenschneider in the mid-19th century. The interior décor has not survived. During restoration in 2003 the walls were painted the colour of the cloth that archive documents record as being used to line the room. Today it contains works by 16th-century Venetian artists such as Jacopo Palma the Elder, Lorenzo Lotto and Cima da Conegliano. Among the masterpieces of the collection is Judith, a painting by Giorgione (circa 1478-1510), one of the few authentic works by the founder of the Venetian school.