Rediscovered Fra Angelico fragment leads Pandolfini's May 2026 old masters sale in Florence

A fragment of Fra Angelico's 'Tebaide', missing for 50 years, will be auctioned by Pandolfini in Florence on May 20, 2026, with an estimate of €150,000–250,000. The work was identified by comparison with versions at the Museo di San Marco and the Uffizi. The rediscovery has reignited scholarly debate on the Tebaidi series. The auction house's Old Masters department, led since 2025 by Nicolò Pitto, has achieved strong results: over €5 million in total revenue in 2025, with top lots including Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Cleopatra' (€595,600) and a French School 'Saint Catherine of Alexandria' (€620,000). Pitto emphasizes the importance of condition, provenance, and attribution in the current market. Public institutions have also acquired works from Pandolfini, such as Giovan Francesco Penni's 'Allegory of Good Hope' for the Galleria Borghese in Rome.