Pesellino: A Renaissance Master Revealed

Francesco Pesellino and Fra Filippo Lippi and workshop, The Pistoia Santa Trinità Altarpiece, 1455-60, egg tempera, tempera grassa and oil on wood, The National Gallery, London.

Working in Florence in the mid-15th century, Francesco Pesellino (c.1422–1457) had a short but successful career. He was a skilled draughtsman, visual storyteller and painter of animals, often producing works on a small scale with wonderfully intricate detail. With commissions from Florence’s ruling Medici family and working collaboratively with leading artists of the Italian Renaissance such as Fra Filippo Lippi , his talents were hugely sought-after during his lifetime. His early death at just 35, and the difficulty in attributing works has meant that his legacy has, however, been largely overlooked.

Pesellino: A Renaissance Master Revealed is the first-ever exhibition dedicated to the artist, seting out to give him at last the attention he deserves. Uniting two masterpieces from the National Gallery’s own collection - the Pistoia Trinity altarpiece (1455–60), and the newly restored ‘Stories of David’ cassone panels (about 1445–55) - with loans from around the world, the exhibition presents an opportunity to uncover more of Pesellino's story, and appreciate his skill as a painter of complicated stories, ceremonial splendour and exquisite detail.

Admission to the exhibition is free.