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Giovanni Bellini’s gloriously inspirational altarpiece (Room 2), was painted in 1487 for the Church of San Giobbe. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of Sacra Conversazione , which was central to 15th-century Venetian art. The presence of St Sebastian and St Roch alongside the Virgin suggest the aftermath of plague, while angel musicians pay homage to San Giobbe, patron saint of music.

This enigmatic 1506 portrayal of a woman suckling her child is by Giorgione (Room 5). The overall impression is of figures and the dreamlike, stormy landscape blended into one whole.

The forceful canvas by Veronese (1573) occupies an entire wall of Room 10 and caused controversy in its time. The church authorities, who commissioned it as “The Last Supper”, were angered by the inclusion of “dogs, buffoons, drunken Germans, dwarfs and other such absurdities” – so Veronese changed the title.

Titian’s last work (1576) is unfinished but it is also considered his best (Room 10), imbued as it is with golden light and a piercing sense of anguish.

Part of Carpaccio’s magnificent narrative cycle (1495) about a Breton princess and an English prince can be seen in Room 21.

Part of Gentile Bellini’s spectacular cycle (1496) of the St Mark’s Day procession in 1444 is seen in Room 20.

This exquisite work (1496–8) by Cima da Conegliano, painted for a Murano Franciscan church, is enlivened with partridges and plant life (Room 2).

This resplendent polyptych (1350) by Venice’s leading 14th-century artist, Paolo Veneziano, is the first work in Room 1. Flanking the sumptuous Byzantine-inspired centre are events from the life of Christ.

Lorenzo Lotto’s sombre image of a melancholic man of means in his study (1528) is possibly a self portrait (Room 7). Lotto was known for work entailing psychological insights.

As a female artist in demand by 18th-century high society, Carriera was a rarity for her time. Her late-Baroque works in Room 17 display the soft romantic pastels that became her trademark.