Scene from a Novella

Liberale da Verona painted this scene from a novella in 1467, depicting a narrative from the Italian literary tradition — possibly from Boccaccio's Decameron or a similar collection of tales popular in Renaissance courts. Such painted cassone panels and decorative works brought secular literature to life in domestic settings. Liberale's training as a masterful illuminator of choir books in Siena and Verona directly informed his approach to narrative panel painting.

The tempera on wood panel displays Liberale's extraordinary eye for decorative detail derived from his work as an illuminator. Rich costume details, architectural settings, and expressive figure gestures are rendered with the precision and vivid color of manuscript painting on a larger scale.