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During the 1480s the Lombardo shop was very busy with a series of tomb commissions in and around Venice, including the tomb of Jacopo Marcello (d. 1484; Santa Maria dei Frari, Venice), the tomb of Lodovico Foscarini (d. 1480; destroyed) and the tomb of Giovanni Zanetti, Archbishop of Thebes and Bishop of Treviso (d. 1484; Treviso Cathedral). These are all pensile wall tombs of modest scale, in which the sarcophagi and commemorative plaques are framed by oval cornices. This format derives from the arrangement of the central section of the Pietro Mocenigo tomb, isolated and reshaped as an oval.
The specific roles of Tullio and Antonio in the family workshop cannot be identified before the late 1480s. Presumably they worked alongside other assistants on less important aspects of tombs and architectural projects under Pietro's supervision. The Bishop Zanetti tomb in Treviso Cathedral of the late 1480s is probably the first project in which the individual contributions of Tullio and Antonio can be convincingly distinguished. The division of labour, with all three Lombardi working on different sculptures from Pietro's design, gives a fascinating picture of their close collaboration. Tullio and Antonio make their presence felt in such a way as to modify the whole style of the tomb.
The design of the Zanetti monument is exceptionally fluent, and reveals the instinctive sense of rhythm and spacing that sprang from Pietro Lombardo's practice as an architect. Moreover, its technique is far superior to that of the earlier Lombardo tombs. The foliage and figures on the ornate sarcophagus are deeply cut; the eagle beneath is carved with great boldness and vitality; and the three figures above are articulated with new confidence.
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