Pisanello

Pisanello (c. 1395-1455), born Antonio di Puccio Pisano, was an Italian painter and medalist who bridged the International Gothic and early Renaissance styles. Trained under Stefano da Zevio and later Gentile da Fabriano, he developed a refined, detail-rich approach with a taste for precious materials and elaborate fabrics. He worked for the Doge of Venice, the Pope, and courts across Italy including Verona, Ferrara, Mantua, Milan, and Naples.

Pisanello is credited with inventing the commemorative portrait medal, a genre that became central to Renaissance art patronage. His medal of Emperor John VIII Palaeologus (1438) and the Alfonso of Aragon medal (1448) are considered masterworks. He was also one of the first 15th-century artists to draw from life, producing celebrated studies of horses and animals. Our collection features 4 works at the Cleveland Museum of Art.