Are these paintings Medici propaganda? | Gold and silver restoration | National Gallery

Published 2023-12-07
Marvel at Pesellino's mastery of gold and silver in the newly-restored 'Story of David' panels and follow the clues that suggest the panels were owned by the Medici family.

This overlooked Renaissance great is celebrated by us here at the National Gallery in the first-ever exhibition dedicated to Francesco Pesellino (c.1422–1457).

See the free exhibition 'Pesellino: A Renaissance Master Revealed', 7 December 2023 – 10 March 2024: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/pesellino-a…

In this episode, Jill Dunkerton, Restorer; Laura Llewellyn, Curator of Italian Paintings before 1500; and Marta Melchiorre, Senior Scientist, discuss the restoration of Pesellino's 'Story of David' cassoni panels. They explore the Renaissance artist Pesellino's use of gold and silver leaf, and reveal the clues that suggest the panels may have been commissioned by the Medici family.

🎨 Find out more about 15th-century artist Francesco Pesellino: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/francesco-pesel…

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The National Gallery houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The museum is free of charge and open 361 days per year, daily between 10.00 am - 6.00 pm and on Fridays between 10.00 am - 9.00 pm.
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All Comments (21)
  • @farmbrough
    Wonderful to see these craftsmen at work.
  • @purkaitsurajit53
    Such a magnificent Renaissance masterpiece explained so beautifully by the art curators and in such great detail!! Hats off to The National Gallery for restoring this artwork so brilliantly!!🫡🫡👏👏👌👌👍👍🙂🙂❤️❤️
  • @globalheart
    Enchantingly beautiful, thank you for your talks ❤
  • Thank you so much for this very interesting insight into the restoration process of Pesellino’s masterpiece!
  • @a.kaiser8965
    I really don't think anyone/museum can match this quality of restoration. I mean.. just marvelous. Just even the quality and the importance of the works they conserve/restore is just unmatched.
  • Excellent. Restoration is such a creative process, actually. The decision making on how to best carry the image forward, maybe necessitating an upgrade in materials to better enhance the longevity of the visual idea
  • @ginacrusco234
    This is so wonderfully done and clearly articulated.
  • @isashax
    Another fantastic video. I learn so much from them!
  • @sergpie
    This was an excellent episode
  • This is so wonderfully and beautifully done and clearly articulated with such a precise and amazing explanation, thank you so much
  • @yumba-uz4dn
    thank you to the National Gallery for these wonderful videos ant to the narrator who makes a very interesting presentation.
  • 👽 Thanks for the educational moment. Your well appreciated mission of preserving historical art. Love you guys.
  • @leoperarm
    thanks for another very informative video. Love this format
  • @Backto5oh5
    Another wonderfully presented and informative video. Thank you!
  • @gerryholden
    Informative, interesting, a beautiful presentation; thank you.
  • I just finally read the DaVinci Code and the Medici family was mentioned. 😳 At least I'm learning...?
  • It has a resemblance to The Battle of San Romano painted by Paolo Ucello. Is there any document or research where a comparison between the two artists is discussed?