A group of paintings thought to be by the same artist was first gathered together by Roberto Longhi in 1950. This artist was referred to as the ‘Master of Pratovecchio’ based on the provenance of the altarpiece now divided between London (the National Gallery) and Pratovecchio, a small town to the east of Florence. The altarpiece was almost certainly made for the church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Pratovecchio.
In addition to the National Gallery panels and the Assumption of the Virgin from the same altarpiece, still in Pratovecchio today, the works firmly attributed to this painter are: the Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels and Flanked by Saint Bridget of Sweden and the Archangel Michael, formerly in the collection of the Getty Museum and in a private hands since 2011; the Three Archangels in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin; and the Madonna and Child Enthroned with God the Father and Six Angels in the Morgan Library & Museum, New York.
The identity of the Master of Pratovecchio is still debated. Scholars have suggested two artists in particular: Giovanni di Francesco del Cervelliera (1412–1459) and Jacopo di Antonio (1427–1454). Both of these artists were influenced by Andrea del Castagno and worked in Florence and Arezzo during the 1450s.
