the pesaro madonna altarpiece illustrates vividly the fusion between church and state public and privatevirgin and child are brought together with members of a venetian noble family. the monuments to the pesaro family in the church of the frari are both private burial chapels and public statements of their prominent role in the nobility of the republic. jacopo pesaro commissioned the artist to portray him giving thanks to the virgin for victory at santa maria when the venetians and the pope defeated the turks. pesaro, the venetian was admiral of the papal fleet. the spectacle of state included processions from the doge's palace to the most prominent churches across the water each designed by andrea palladio as a classical temple transformed for christian celebration. palladio adopted the monumental simplicity of ancient roman buildings to make a new kind of christian church. and he created spaces of unprecedented clarity. a very different light actually suffuses the paintings that tintoretto created for the presbytery of palladio's church. it is not that clear light of a measured and har