After almost two hundred years, a major Renaissance masterpiece is returning from the Uffizi to the monastery that was its home for centuries. It is a triptych with stories from the lives of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, painted by the 15th century French artist Nicolas Froment.
It was removed from the Bosco ai Frati monastery (San Piero) during the Napoleonic suppression and returned to the Galleria delle Statue e delle Pitture in 1841. The altarpiece is dated 1461 and signed on the doors by Nicolas Froment, an artist who was active in northern France and Provence between 1461 and 1483. The triptych was commissioned by Bishop Francesco Coppini (Prato, 1402 - Rome, 1464) as part of his diplomatic missions abroad. The patron, who can be identified by his coat of arms, is depicted praying before the Virgin Mary on the back of one of the doors. In the center of the triptych, we see Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and pronouncing the words: "Lazare veni foras", written in golden letters. Lazarus, whose body has already decomposed, rises from the grave before the eyes of his sisters Martha and Mary, whose faces are bathed in tears. The miracle is preceded by the scene in which Martha goes to Jesus to inform him of her brother's death, which is depicted on the left-hand door. On the other door, Mary honors the Redeemer by anointing his feet with a fragrant balm.
Influenced by Flemish painting, Nicolas Froment tends to characterize the facial features of his figures almost to the point of caricature. His meticulous depiction of costumes, objects and bizarre details such as the fly on a laid table make the religious scene a constant source of wonder. The landscapes in the background evoke the fairy-tale world of 15th century northern European courts.
Francesco Coppini was recalled to Rome by the Pope in the summer of the year in which the triptych was completed and accused of political offenses and simony. As he was found guilty, he was stripped of his titles and his assets were confiscated. The triptych thus came into the possession of the Medici family and was subsequently donated to the Franciscan monastery Bosco ai Frati, where it remained until the dissolution of the monastery under Napoleon. It came to the Uffizi in 1841.
until April 30, 2023
