WHAT? Pesellino: A Renaissance Master Revealed 

WHERE? National Gallery, Room 46, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN   Free to visit 

WHEN? December 7 to March 10 2024 

WHY GO? For spiritual vibes.  Every box of charity Christmas cards includes a few Renaissance masters with their penchant for Virgin and Child portraiture, but one artist’s name that may not immediately resonate is Francesco Pesellino, who is aptly celebrated in this festive and free exhibition that spiritually sets the tone for Christmas. 

It is full-on Renaissance, resplendent with golden angels and devotional imagery, a soothing multi sensory welcome after so much raw, raucous art on show in London right now. 

The peaceful chime of an Angelus bell should accompany this glorious first-ever exhibition of a talented artist whose career was sadly cut short when he died of the plague aged just 35.

Pesellino, who was commissioned by the Medici family, left a legacy of biblical imagery, primarily as panels that are as intricate as they are complex; every horse's hoof or lock of angel's hair is as detailed as a photograph today. 

Exhibited in the round to allow for closer encounters of a spiritual kind, this heavenly show will inspire curious minds to delve deeper for Pesellino is the Renaissance artist we long to know more about.

IN THE KNOW Inspired by the Italian masters and to celebrate Pesellino, the gallery is hosting a free concert on 14th December (Room 32) with cellist David Cohen, principal of the London Symphony Orchestra and pianist Alini Pritulenko. Keep those meditative vibes flowing!