This is a plaster cast after the terracotta original made by Nicolo Pizolo in about 1448-1449, in the church of the Eremitani, Padua. Casting was done by Giovanni da Pisa, about 1869, in Venice. This caster represents the Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic, Peter Martyr, Saint John the Baptist, James the Greater, Christopher and Anthony Abbot.

This altarpiece was damaged when the Eremitani was bombed during the war, and is now better preserved in the cast than in the original. In 1443, Antonio Ovetari left 700 ducats in his will for the decoration of his chapel. This sum was divided equally between four painters: Giovanni d'Alemagna (d. 1450) working in partnership with Antonio Vivarini (active 1440, d. between 1476/84) and Nicolò Pizolo working with Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). An arbitration of 7 September, 1449 states that "master Nicolò alone is to make and complete, decorate and gild the altarpiece" together with a specified portion of the frescoes, making it clear that of the four painters, Nicolò alone was responsible for the execution of the altar. On 8 July 1448, Giovanni da Pisa paid £ 68 8s for work on the altarpiece. As Giovanni da Pisa was a sculptor, who, together with Nicolò Pizolo, had assisted Donatello (1386-1466) in the execution of the High altar for the Santo, it seems probably that he assisted in the production of the terracotta relief for the Ovetari altarpiece, while Nicolò Pizolo would have been responsible for its design together with the painted decoration and gilding.