The Klesch Collection’s first book delves into the untold history of one of our paintings, Giorgio Vasari’s Allegory of Patience and is authored by Prof. Carlo Falciani, the renowned Florentine art historian. Falciani recounts the exciting rediscovery, story and documentation of The Klesch Collection’s painting, conceived with the help of Vasari’s close friend Michelangelo, as many surviving letters attest. It quickly became famous and numerous copies were made, permeating the visual culture of Florence and beyond. This book carries full documentation of the work and its known copies, some of which can be traced to leading patrons in Renaissance Italy.

In the video below you can view National Gallery’s Caroline Campbell, Director of Collections and Research, and Matthias Wivel, Curator of 16th-century Italian paintings, in conversation with Prof. Carlo Falciani about the painting and his book.