The restoration of the triptych with the Resurrection of Lazarus by Nicolas Froment

In 2017, the Uffizi Gallery presented to the public the triptych “Resurrection of Lazarus” by Nicolas Froment, recently restored thanks to the contribution of the Friends of the Uffizi Gallery. The work, signed and dated 1461, represents one of the masterpieces of the French painter and is considered a unique testimony of the interest of Italian patrons in the 15th century for Northern Renaissance painting.

The triptych illustrates the story of Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary. On the left wing, Martha informs Jesus of her brother’s death; in the central panel, Jesus resurrects Lazarus in the presence of a moved Martha, Mary, and the apostles; on the right wing, the narrative concludes with the dinner at the house of the Pharisee, where Mary anoints Jesus’ feet. On the back of the wings, the patron of the work, Francesco Coppini, is depicted in prayer before the Virgin with Child.

Francesco Coppini, originally from Prato, embarked on an ecclesiastical career that led him to hold diplomatic positions on behalf of Pope Pius II. During his travels to the Netherlands, France, and England between 1459 and 1462, he commissioned the triptych from Nicolas Froment, a painter from Picardy influenced by Flemish painting. The work arrived at the Uffizi in 1841, after the Napoleonic suppression of the Bosco ai Frati convent in Mugello, where it had originally been placed.

The 2017 restoration revealed the vivid colors and intricate details typical of 15th-century Northern European painting, allowing for a better understanding of the artwork. The exhibition, curated by Daniela Parenti, was open from March 7 to April 30, 2017, in the Sala del Camino at the Uffizi, offering visitors the opportunity to admire this Renaissance masterpiece in all its splendor.