Sano Ciampanti’s altarpiece from the Cathedral of Lucca to Monte Carlo: The Story of a rare Renaissance Masterpiece.

The origins of this monumental work, powerful in its bold use of colour and strong lines, have eluded scholars for decades. It was not until archival research was undertaken earlier this year, on behalf of Moretti Fine Art, that the mystery has been solved. Documents found in the archives in Lucca have brought to light that the painting was specifically commissioned for the Cathedral of San Martino in 1498. The patron was a priest, Clemente di Antonio Andrucci, who can now firmly be identified with the kneeling figure dressed in black. The intended location of the work was above an altar dedicated to San Pietro in Vincoli, within the chapel of Saints Jerome and Joseph – the two saints represented alongside the donor in Ciampanti’s altarpiece – and the altarpiece remained in situ until the cathedral was extensively remodelled in 1595. All trace of the painting was lost after that date, until it found its way into the prestigious collection of Italian Renaissance paintings of Rev. Walter Davenport Bromley (1787–1862) at Wootton Hall in Staffordshire, England, in the mid-nineteenth century.The identity of Sano Ciampanti, one of the most idiosyncratic artistic personalities in Renaissance Lucca, has also baffled scholars for some time. Originally known as the Master of San Filippo, after a painting in the small church of San Filippo outside Lucca, Ciampanti’s artistic personality becomes clear as he combines elements found in the mature works of the leading Florentine painters of his age – Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi – with a luminosity and attention to detail that finds its roots in Flemish painting.

The rarity of Ciampanti’s altarpiece cannot be overstated; from its exceptional state of preservation to the fact that details regarding its commission have been brought to light by recent archival discoveries, and its public display at Moretti Fine Art will surely prompt reappreciation of this marvellous painting among scholars and public alike.