Frohman, Nicola

The exact date of birth of the artist is unknown, the alleged date back to about 1435. Some experts consider the city of Uze ( Languedoc ) to be his birthplace, since he was first mentioned in documents of this city in 1465. Others consider him to be from Artois or Picardy , since his early manner testifies to the South Dutch training. Most scholars agree that the years 1460-61. Nicola lived in the Netherlands, and this is confirmed by the triptych “ Resurrection of Lazarus ” performed by him in those years. Around 1465 , the artist moved to Avignon , where he was very successful, receiving many orders from private individuals and the City Council, which allowed him to purchase three adjacent houses on the corner of Place de Beauf , which was the main trading area of ​​the city and located not far from papal palace . Around 1475 , Nicola became the court painter of King Rene of Anjou , who from 1471 again made Provence a permanent place of residence. In this capacity, Frohman remains until the death of King Rene in 1480. In the middle of 1475 , Rene orders him the triptych “The Burning Cupid ” . In 1476, a document is dated announcing the last known payment for the artist’s work: in 1476, Rene of Anjou acquired in Avignon a new building for his residence and attracted Nikola Frohman along with other artists to renovate and decorate it. In addition to these brigade works, Froman created many separate works for the residence of the king in Avignon and Aix. After the death of Rene of Anjou, Froman continued to work for the city council of Avignon until his death. The date of his death dates back to 1483 -84. Nikola Frohman had a son, Nikola Jr., who also became an artist (c. 1467-1522).

Only two reliable works by Nikola Froman have survived to this day. This is the triptych “The Resurrection of Lazarus” and the triptych “The Burning Bush”. The remaining few works are attributed to him by analogy.

Resurrection of Lazarus

This triptych is considered evidence that Fromman lived in the Netherlands in 1460–61 and belonged to the circle of Rogier van der Weyden artists. The work has the signature of the artist and the date is May 18, 1461 . Since this work has long been located in Florence (now it is stored in the Uffizi Gallery), scientists assumed that Nikola Frohman was in Italy in 1460–61, where he wrote it. However, more thorough studies clarified the situation as follows. The triptych was commissioned by the artist Francesco Coppini , who was a papal legate in the northern countries from 1459 to 1462 . Coppini returned to Italy with this triptych, and later, based on some political calculations, presented it to the ruler of Florence, Cosimo de Medici , who, before his death in 1464, managed to donate the triptych to the Franciscan Convento del Bosco in Mugello, where it was stored until the 18th century .

The style of this work is close to the manner of Rogier van der Weyden. The picture is angular, gothic , and in the scenes themselves there is an overabundance of people and objects, characteristic of young artists who want to demonstrate that they can depict everything. The faces of the characters are typed and look almost the same. In the upper left corner is a young man whose face some scientists consider to be a self-portrait of Nicola Frohman. The scenes of "Marta informs Christ of the death of Lazarus" and "Mary Magdalene washing the feet of Christ" are depicted on the wings of the altar.

Burning Bush

The triptych is the pinnacle of Nikola Frohman. It was created fifteen years after the Resurrection of Lazarus, and the changes in Frohman's creative approach are striking. Here he departs from the angular manner of writing and, under the clear influence of the works of the Avignon school, synthesizing Italian and Dutch elements, creates an amazing work with a fantastic plot, realistic character poses and soft, flowing fabrics of clothes. The triptych was commissioned by Rene Anjou , therefore, the donor King Rene himself and his second wife, Jeanne de Laval , are depicted on the wings. The canonical context of the legend of how Yahweh himself appeared to Moses in a burning bush was changed here in accordance with the traditions of the late Middle Ages (the prevalence of the cult of the Virgin Mary) - not Yahweh, but the Mother of God with the baby is Moses. The baby holds a mirror in his hand, in which he and Mary are reflected. Shocked Moses is shown in the lower right corner, and in the left corner an angel calming an elderly prophet with a gesture. Sheep and goats grazing indifferently in the center of the composition do not see either a burning bush or an angel. The picture is full of symbols, as was customary in Gothic painting during its heyday.

In addition to these two remarkable works, Nikolay Frohman is credited with several more works: The Materon Diptych depicting Rene of Anjou and Jeanne de Laval, commissioned for King Rene by his friend Jean Materon ( Paris , Louvre ), Madonna in Sorrow , fragment from the big picture ( USA, private collection), “Transfiguration” ( Berlin , Engraving Study ), “Portrait of a Man” ( Philadelphia , Museum of Art), but not all of these works can be considered firmly read by Frohman. Nicola Frohman was one of the largest French masters of the second half of the XV century.

• Edith Light. Early French painting. Budapest. 1980.
• Renaissance Art in the Netherlands, France, England (Monuments of World Art) M. 1994
• Grayson, Marion L. The documentary history of Nicolas Froment, French artist of the Fifteenth century. Columbia University. 1979.

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