Altarpiece of Saint Lucy 1532
When
in 1980 Cesare Anibaldi Junior published the results of his research about the
Altarpiece of Saint Lucy, it was immediately clear that the understanding of
this work would become a bit easier. The nine years passed from the signing
of the contract till the delivery of the Altarpiece were particularly mysterious.
Nine years full of changes in Lotto's life: he had accepted the work in Jesi
while he was still committed in Bergamo and finished it in 1532, after that
a new attempt to work in Venice had failed.
On December 11th 1523 notary Orsino Orsini drew up the contract between Lorenzo
Lotto and the Friars of Saint Lucy Hospital for the realization of a big icon
which, according to the clients' intention, had to be more beautiful than the
one which had been painted ten years before for the Buon Gesù Brotherhood.
To reach this goal, prior Giovanni di Antonio Guglielmi, regardless of expenses,
agreed with the painter on the considerable sum of 220 golden ducats. The first
instalment of 50 ducats was paid immediately. According to the contract other
120 ducats would be paid within September 1524 and the rest on work delivery,
which would be by 1525.
But things went differently. Actually only on April 22nd 1525 the painter gave
a regular receipt for the payment of other 50 ducats. On expiry day the Brotherhood
had paid Lotto less than half the sum due. The Altarpiece of Saint Lucy, finally
completed, arrived in Jesi late in 1532 or early in 1533. We don't know whether
Lotto was present at the placing of this work, according to the old contract
of 1523, or if he wasn't, as we can assume since the last instalment was directly
sent to him in Venice, as quoted in the 1531 resolution.