Monument to Nicholas Brenzoni, Funeral monument in Verona, Italy

The Monument to Niccolò Brenzoni is a funeral monument in the church of San Fermo Maggiore in Verona, signed by sculptor Nanni di Bartolo and painter Pisanello and dated 1426. An angel opens the sarcophagus to release the risen Christ, while four sleeping guards and two female figures stand below on rocky ground. Two angels draw back a painted cloth topped by an Eternal in a painted baldachin, framed by a pastiglia braid and a painted pergola with archangels Michael and Raphael, birds and peacocks.

The monument was created between 1424 and 1426 by artists Nanni di Bartolo and Pisanello, who brought together two different artistic styles. It stands as an important example of early 15th-century Italian sculptural practice.

Pisanello signed the painted sections "PISANVS PINSIT", the first known signed work by the artist. The Annunciation frames the tomb: the Angel, once with lapis-blue wings, faces the Virgin, who is shown praying in a room with a gilded bed, an oriental carpet and a tapestry of a courtship scene.

The monument sits on the left wall of San Fermo Maggiore church and is easy to reach when visiting inside. It helps to come during daylight hours to see the carving and painting details clearly.

The partnership between Nanni di Bartolo and Pisanello was uncommon, as these two artists worked in different techniques and approaches. Their combined skills created a work where both sculpture and painting hold equal weight and importance.