The death of Francesca Pitti Tornabuoni

myminifactory

The origin of this relief remains uncertain; yet, its singular subject suggests a probable connection to a significant event - specifically, the tragic loss during childbirth of Francesca Pitti, as recounted by her husband Giovanni Tornabuoni in a heartfelt letter to his dear friend Lorenzo de'Medici. According to Vasari's account, Tornabuoni commissioned Verrocchio to create a monument to his beloved wife in Rome's Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, where she had met her untimely demise. This relief, potentially a surviving fragment of the original monument, poignantly captures the death scene on one side, with the anguish of the attending women palpable, while on the other side, her grief-stricken husband receives the devastating news as he contemplates his lifeless son's body. Taking inspiration from the elaborate friezes found on ancient funeral sarcophaguses, various aspects of this relief demonstrate exceptional craftsmanship, such as the group of women surrounding the deathbed, whereas other, more mediocre components are attributed to the maestro's workshop.