BK-17210

About this artwork

Rechthoekige plaquette van koper, met een voorstelling in email van De opwekking van Lazarus. Centraal ligt Lazarus gekleed in lendendoek. Hij wordt twee mannen uit een graftombe geholpen. Links daarvan staat Jezus en rechts daarvan zijn twee vrouwen,de zussen Martha en Maria. In de achtergrond zijn nog meer mensen afgebeeld en een kerkgebouw.

Art Historical Context

**BK-17210: The of Lazarus by Jean Picaud I (c. 1500–1525)** This exquisite rectangular copper plaquette, measuring 217 cm high by 25.4 cm wide, showcases the masterful enamel work of Jean Pénica I, a leading figure in the early Limoges enamel tradition. Dating to around 1500–1525, it captures a pivotal biblical moment from the Gospel of John: the of Lazarus. Crafted during the dawn of the French Renaissance, such enameled metalworks were prized for their vibrant colors and durability, serving as portable devotional objects for the elite and clergy. At the center, Lazarus, clad only in a loincloth, emerges from his tomb, aided by two men, symbolizing triumph over death. To the left stands Jesus, the miracle-worker, while his sisters Martha and Mary appear to the right, their expressions conveying awe and faith. The background teems with onlookers and a stately church, evoking the communal witness to divine power. Pénicaud's painted enamel technique—firing translucent and opaque glazes onto copper—brings luminous depth and jewel-like intensity to the figures, blending Gothic narrative detail with emerging Renaissance humanism. These Limoges enamels, produced in workshops near the city's cathedral, held profound cultural importance as affordable yet luxurious aids for meditation on salvation. This plaquette invites visitors to ponder themes of hope and resurrection, a reminder of faith's enduring visual language in 16th-century Europe.