Fra Angelico
Baptized Guido di Pietro, Fra (Brother) Angelico gained a reputation as an artist while still in his teens. He influenced and inspired other artists of his time with his serenely religious works, which were themselves influenced by classical art.
Angelico may have been trained by Lorenzo Monaco, a superb miniaturist whose influence can be seen in Angelico's attention to fine detail, and among his earliest works were manuscript illuminations. Deeply devout, in his early twenties he became a Dominican monk and entered the Monastery of San Domenico at Fiesole. There he took the name Fra Giovanni da Fiesole, and over the next two decades he painted some of the most stunning works to come out of the early Renaissance. Angelico's work reflects contemporary artistic trends and illustrates that Brother Giovanni did not remained cloistered in the monastery.
In 1439 Angelico moved to the monastery of San Marco in Florence, where he executed a number of murals. The altarpiece for the rebuilt church there, funded by the Medici family, may be Fra Angelico's most compelling work. In 1445 Angelico was called to Rome by Pope Eugene IV and stayed there about five years. Of the several works he produced there, only the decorative paintings for the Chapel of Nicholas V survive.
Returning to Fiesole in 1450, Fra Angelico became prior of the Monastery of San Domenico. During this time Angelico executed a cycle of 35 paintings depicting scenes from the life of Christ and other figures; unfortunately, many have since been repainted, and their authenticity is disputed.
Fra Angelico returned to Rome in 1453 and died there two years later. Not long after his death he became known as "angelico" for his moral virtues, but the appellation is considered by art lovers to be appropriate to his work, as well.
Important Dates
Died: Feb 18, 1455
Quotations from Fra Angelico
"He who does Christ's work must stay with Christ always.""To paint Christ one must know him."
On the Web
Fra Angelico on the Web
In Print
Fra Angelico in Print
Related Resources
Art History
Excellent resource for art history of all eras, brought to you by About Guide Shelley Esaak.Art & Artists
Sculpture, icons, paintings, stained glass, and the artists that produced it in Medieval and Renaissance times. A page of Clip Art links is also available.Medieval Italy
Sites that focus on Italy during the middle ages and Renaissance.
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