July 1573 was little more than a year out from the death of Pope Pius V, whose birth name was Antonio Ghislieri and who took the name Michele when he entered th

July 1573 was little more than a year out from the death of Pope Pius V, whose birth name was Antonio Ghislieri and who took the name Michele when he entered the Dominican Order at age 14 (ordained a priest in that Order about 10 years later). Note the blog post relates that "[Paolo Veronese] had been commissioned by the Dominicans to make a particularly large painting for the refectory of their monastery." When elected as the Bishop of Rome, Pius V took on a reform of monumental scope, not lacking much sternness: the papacy itself over many recent decades had been occupied by men more of overt excesses and opulence than of other qualities good or ill. The cleanup efforts continued at pace long after his death across the whole of the western Catholic Church. That's a bit of context for the events in 1573 involving Paolo Veronese, fair or unfair. I think it would be interesting to learn more of the back story of his artistic direction for that particular commission. In any case, in the atmosphere of 1573 (vs. say the High Renaissance that ended about 50 years earlier), in a Dominican monastery no less, I don't think it's shocking that the painting could have been suspected to be impious or irreligious.