Les volets peints du retable de Saint-Denis er les débuts de Lambert Lombard à Liège

The St Denis Altarpiece does not fully bear witness to the ambitions of its donors in its present condition, since its painted wings have been dismantled and partly lost. The wings of the predella, traditionally attributed to Lambert Lombard and his workshop, have always aroused much interest among the scholars. Conversely, the remnants of the upper wings have not received the attention they deserve. Their recent restoration gave the opportunity to examine them thoroughly.
Although excluding an attribution of the two pairs of painted wings to the same workshop, close technical and stylistic examination reveals strong similarities between them, suggesting a simultaneous execution and joint supervision. Meanwhile, the carved predella and its painted wings form an indivisible iconographic entity and were obviously designed at the same time. Considering these interrelations, one can assume that these three parts of the altarpiece were monitored together. The project coordination was surely a considerable task, which could justify the huge amount paid to a certain Lambertus pictor, quoted in an archival document in 1533. This painter-contractor was most probably active in Liège in the 1530s. A topographical detail painted on a panel from the upper wings supports this statement. Moreover, the underdrawings visualized by infrared reflectography contain a squaring pattern based on a measurement system used in Liège at that time.
As to the identity of the painter-contractor, the young Lambert Lombard is undoubtedly the best candidate. Stylistic and iconographic characteristics point to him, as well as some evidence of clumsiness and lack of experience in managing such a large-scale commission. As is commonly assumed, Lombard’s workshop was probably in charge of the wings of the predella. However, it seems unrealistic to try to detect the master’s hand either in the underdrawings or in the paintings. The technical examination of the two pairs of wings indicates a collective work organization for both.
A possible involvement of Lombard’s patron, Prince-Bishop Erard de la Marck, in the commission is also discussed in this chapter. The prelate, whose coat of arms featured on a stained-glass window in the choir of St-Denis church, just above the altarpiece, might have provided financial support to achieve the work after Louis Chokier’s death in 1526.