Legend of St Ursula, The

Series of paintings by the Italian artist Vittore Carpaccio 1490–98 (Accademia, Venice). They represent episodes from the story (see Ursula, St) of the daughter of a British king going on pilgrimage with a large number of other young women in order to avoid an arranged marriage, and being killed by Huns on the return journey.

Carpaccio gives to this legend (which was handed down with a number of variations) a clear-cut contemporary character, translating it into terms of Venetian types, costume, and architecture. It was painted for the confraternity of St Ursula in Venice.