I discovered the canvases in the stockroom of a historic fine arts shop in Bologna. The shop owner was able to infer their period of manufacture and original function by closely examining the type of primer, the cotton threads, and the weave (trama) of the fabric. Their sheer size suggested they were made specifically for stage design, to support painted scenes and theatrical backgrounds. He had set them aside long ago, considering them unsellable to most customers — but he recognized that they held a different kind of value.