the canvas was commissioned by the patrician vendramin family, and portrays, as was the typical venetian custom, only male members of the dynasty. it includes the brothers andrea and gabriele vendramin, and andrea's seven sons. however andrea was apparently only three years older than gabriele, which one would not think from the two figures here. it remains uncertain which is which. the three young boys kneeling on the left were added later by another artist, and are markedly lower in quality.