In this artwork, how is the Provenance discussed?
The work was commissioned for the Venetian church of Sant'Elena by Lady Orsa, the widow of Simone Malipiero.The canvas depicts the Gospel story of the adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi, with Saint Helena, who can be identified by her attribute the True Cross, anachronistically shown as being present at the scene. The inclusion of the saint to whom the church was dedicated indicates that the work's original location was at the high altar.The positioning of Helena's cross above the figures of the Virgin and Child is a clear prefiguration of Christ's fate. 
According to some critics the saint, prominently placed in the centre of the group of figures, is a representation of Lady Orsa who had commissioned the work.With the Napoleonic suppressions the canvas, like many other works, was removed from its original location and assigned to the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan.According to some critics, the canvas is not entirely the work of Palma Vecchio but was completed by his pupils; Giovanni Morelli wrote that Palma "had to leave the execution entirely to one of his assistants".
Milan Pinacoteca di Brera Palma Vecchio Christ Child high altar Saint Helena Sant'Elena Virgin and Child Gospel Giovanni Morelli Magi True Cross Napoleonic suppressions