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Jacopo del Sellaio of the Florentine School

The Mystical Nativity (ca. 1490–95). Jacopo del Sellaio (Photo: Artvee)

By Art in Tuscany

September 17, 2025
6:16 pm
Los Angeles, CA

Jacopo da Sellaio (c. 1441 – 1493), sometimes known as Jacopo di Arcangel, was an eclectic Italian painter from the early Renaissance, who painted in the style of the Florentine School. He was a pupil of Fra’ Filippo Lippi, with his contemporary Sandro Botticelli, who became a lasting influence on him. It is noted that by 1460, he had joined the Confraternity of Saint Luke (Compagnia di S Luca) in Florence, and in 1473, he is documented to have shared a studio with Filippo di Giuliano. A number of da Sellaio’s paintings for decorative chests (Italian: cassoni) survive in collections, such as his Story of Cupid and Psyche commissioned for a 15th Century Florentine marriage and depicting the ancient romance of the marriage of the mortal princess, Psyche, to

A number of da Sellaio’s paintings for decorative chests (Italian: cassoni) survive in collections, such as his Story of Cupid and Psyche commissioned for a 15th Century Florentine marriage and depicting the ancient romance of the marriage of the mortal princess, Psyche, to the god of love, Cupid. He executed another wedding cassone, The Nerli Cassone, in collaboration with Zanobi di Domenico and Biagio d’Antonio in 1472. His piece now in the Uffizi Gallery, The Banquet of Ahasuerus, was also painted with two other panels, including Esther before Ahasuerus (Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest) for a cassoni.

St Jerome in the Wilderness. Jacopo da Sellaio. Date: second half of 15th century. Medium: tempera on panel. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Da Sellaio’s small devotional pieces were well known, several of which depicted Saint Jerome and Saint John the Baptist. He also painted religious works for the church of San Lucia dei Magnoli and the church of San Frediano, both in Florence.

Jacopo del Sellaio (1441-1493) | Story of Cupid and Psyche

Story of Cupid and Psyche. Jacopo del Sellaio. The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambrdge University (Photo: Wikikand)

The two paintings (Fitzwilliam Museum) from a wooden marriage chest painted by Jacopo del Sellaio [3] are describing the myth of Cupid and Venus, and serve as an interesting reference to Botticelli’s collage. Vasari describes both Sellaio and Botticelli as fellow pupils in the workshop of Fra Filippo Lippi, which makes a comparison particularly interesting. If we are to believe in the established dating of the artworks, then Sellaio executed the paintings some decade before Botticelli, even though he is usually considered as heavily influenced by Botticelli’s work.

Jacopo del Sellaio painted at least fifteen distinct episodes of the myth on two panels at the different sides of a marriage chest. The difference between the compositions of two painters is obvious: Sellaio is primarily describing the story as told by the classics whereas Botticelli is more mystical, more valuable are the subtle levels of an intuitive apprehension of the story than an appropriate description of narration. However, more interesting is a purely formal comparison, which enhances some previously drawn conclusions about the nature of Botticelli’s inspiration considering the compound image of the Birth of Venus and La Primavera.

The Morelli-Nerli Chests

Biagio d’Antonio, Jacopo del Sellaio, and Zanobi di Domenico, backboard detail of the Nerli Cassone (Photo: travelingintuscany.com)

The Morelli-Nerli Chests (ca. 1472), the only pair known to have survived intact and complete with their original highly decorated spalliere or backboards. These bridal receptacles are important examples of Renaissance furniture and provide fascinating insight into the family life and values of wealthy Renaissance Florentines.

Jacopo del Sellaio, Nerli Cassone. (Photo: travelingintuscany.com)

The chests were commissioned in 1472 by Lorenzo di Matteo Morelli to mark the occasion of his marriage to Vaggia di Tanai di Francesco di Nerli. They were used to store precious items, including clothes and textiles.
In the 15th century a wedding was in most cases little more than a contract between two prominent families intended to combine their wealth, power and prestige. It was not about love. If love subsequently developed between the two parties, this was a bonus.

Marriage was an expensive business. When Lorenzo made his marriage preparations he kept records of his expenditures which still survive. In My expenses when I took my wife home (ca. 1471/2) he listed purchases and home refurbishments. By far the most important and expensive items was a pair of lavishly gilded and decorated wedding chests. Very few could read or write at this time, so decoration was chosen carefully to provide education and entertainment. Lorenzo’s chest shows Camillus defeating the Gauls on the front panel and Horatius Cocles (“Horatius the one-eyed”) defending the bridge against the Etruscans on the backboard. Viaggia’s chest illustrates Camillus and the Roman army besieging the town of Falerii on the front panel and the Roman Mucius Scaevola attempting to assassinate his enemy, King Lars Porsenna, on the backboard.

The chests and their backboards were fabricated by the Italian woodworker Zanobi di Domenico, (act. ca. 1472). They were gilded and decorated by Biagio di Antonio (1446-1516) and Jacopo del Sellaio (ca.1442-1493).