This large canvas was painted by Veronese for the refectory in the Venetian church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in April 1573, as the date on the base of the pillar to the lower left shows. It was seized by the French army and taken to Paris before being returned in 1815 and entrusted to the Gallerie dell’Accademia, where it was displayed in a purpose-built room (today’s Hall X).