Prato, Maestro di Mezzana's triptych enters exhibition itinerary at Palazzo Pretorio Museum

The Museum of Palazzo Pretorio in Prato has been enriched in its exhibition itinerary by a 14th-century masterpiece, thanks to the purchase of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Prato: it is the Madonna Enthroned with Child between Saints Ludovico of Toulouse and Francis, a triptych in the form of a 14th-century altarpiece made by the Prato-born Maestro di Mezzana, which from today returns to be visible to visitors.

“Following the predominantly chronological order of the museum’s exhibition, the triptych could not have found a better place than in the room dedicated to Tuscan painting of the 14th century, also because of the reference to the Sacred Girdle, depicted in the painted stories of Bernardo Daddi’s predella,” said Manuela Fusi, scientific director of the Museum of Palazzo Pretorio.

“It is a day of celebration for the whole city,” said Prato Mayor Ilaria Bugetti. “Our cultural heritage is further enriched thanks to a wonderful teamwork started by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Prato that allowed us to bring home a small great masterpiece of the 14th century, highly symbolic because it is deeply linked to the Marian devotion and tradition of our territory. It is a gift that we want to share with all citizens with a weekend opening of the Civic Museum with free admission.”

“Today the triptych by the Maestro di Mezzana is returned to the Prato community so that it can become a heritage that truly belongs to everyone,” commented Diana Toccafondi, president of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Prato. “It is with this objective that the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio has acquired and deposited this work, beautiful and full of so many meanings, at the Museum of Palazzo Pretorio, based on the firm belief that the sharing of culture and cultural heritage is a primary tool for promoting the emancipation of people and the cohesion of local communities.”

The triptych is a fine fourteenth-century gold background of great iconographic and historical significance, bearing witness to a significant phase in Prato’s history, namely that of the D’Anjou seigniory that granted the city autonomy from Florence. The history of this small portable tabernacle, intended for private devotion, is long and adventurous, beginning with the attribution of the author, the Master of Mezzana, a central figure in fourteenth-century Prato painting. The artist, so named by the scholar Richard Offner in 1956, owes his appellation to two panels from a triptych in the church of San Pietro a Mezzana, now housed in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo in Prato, which highlight his connection with post-Giottesque Florentine painting. His presence in Prato was of considerable importance, as also evidenced by the fresco he painted inside the Palazzo Comunale. His works are distinguished by the finesse of their details and an innovative use of color, which can be clearly seen in the depictions in the triptych. Also on the back of the central panel are original inscriptions, probably made by the artist himself, identifying the characters depicted.

The Madonna Enthroned with Child between Saints Ludwig of Toulouse and Francis boasts a relevant collecting history that confirms its artistic value. The work is attested around 1950 at the antiquarian Ettore Sestieri. It was later purchased by Florentine dealer and collector Carlo De Carlo, and then transferred to the United States as one of the most prestigious pieces in one of the most internationally celebrated private collections. More recently, the work was presented by antiquarian Flavio Gianassi at the Florence Biennale Internazionale d’Arte. Finally, the acquisition by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Prato and the subsequent exhibition in the Museum of Palazzo Pretorio.

For the occasion, the Museo di Palazzo Pretorio will be open with free admission on Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 16 (with the usual hours, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) to offer the public the opportunity to admire the triptych, located on the second floor of the museum.

Prato, Maestro di Mezzana's triptych enters exhibition itinerary at Palazzo Pretorio Museum

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