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Fra Angelico

“He who does Christ’s work must stay with Christ always.”FraAngelico

WhileGhibertiwasdesigningthedoorsfortheFlorenceBaptistery,anotheryoungartistnamedGuidodiPietroandhisyoungerbrother,Benedetto,begantheirtrainingasmanuscriptilluminatorsinFiesole,Tuscany,wheretheybothdevotedtheirlivesentire-lytotheLordbybecom-ingDominicanFriarsin1407.Since400A.D.illuminatedmanuscriptswerebookshandmadebymonkstocopyandpreservetheBibleandotherimportantwritings.Thelettersarewritteninfancycalligraphyandthestoryillustrationsarehighlydecoratedwithsil-verandgoldleaf.Goldleafisathinsheetofrealgoldandappliedinsmallpiecesontoapainting.Sometimestheywere

stampedwithpatterneddesignsaftertheywereburnished.GuidowasinfluencedbyotherartistsfromItalyandheincorpo-

ratedsomenewfeaturesinhisillustrations.Thepeoplelookedmorereal-isticbydepictingshadowsintheclothingandtheletterformscontainedelementsfromnature. Guidotookhisartworkveryseriously.TohimitwasanactofdevotiontoGod.Hewasknowntopraybeforehebeganeveryworkofart.Andhebecamefamousforsaying,“HewhodoesChrist’sworkmuststaywithChristalways.”Be-causeofhishumblepiety,

hewasnicknamedFraGiovanniAngelico,whichmeansAngelicBrotherJohn.

Glorification of St. Dominic, FraAngelico,IlluminatedManuscript,WikiartPublicDomain.


San Marco Church and Convent

In1436,FraAngelicomovedtothemon-asteryinSanMarco,Florence.CosimoMedici,theSignoraofFlorence,urgedAngelicotopaintfrescosonthemonastery’swalls.TheMedicifamilywasverywealthyandpaidartistswelltopaintandsculpt.AngelicowascompelledtofillthewallsofthemonasterywithpassionateillustrationsofJesus’slife.In1439hecompletedthealtarpiece.Analtarpieceisalargeartworkplacedinthefrontofthechapel.Ithelpssetthemoodforworshipandhasastagelikesetting.Usually,thefiguresarelifesizedandthereismuchgoldcoveringdifferentpartsoftheartpiece.Inadditiontogold,artistsusedex-pensivepaintsmadefromlapislazuliandvermilion,whicharedeep,brilliantblueandred-orangecolors. Thewealthypatronswhocommissionedthealtarpiece,displayedtheirwealthtoworshippersbytheamountofgoldthatwasused.OneofthemostpopularthemesforanaltarpiecewastheMa-donnaandChild,(theVirginMotherMaryandChristChild)andtheywereusuallypaintedinaheavenlyarrangement,setapartfromotherfigures.However,FraAngelico’saltarpiecewasuniquebecauseheseatedMaryandbabyJesusinanaturalsettingsurroundedbypeople.Thisbecameknownasthe“SacredConversation”becauseitlookedlikethepeopleinthepaintingwerehavingaconversationwithMary.ThiswasarevolutionarywaytopainttheVirginMotherbecauseitallowedviewerstofeeltheirhumanityaswellastheirdivinityandmanyotherartistscopiedthisstyle.

Angelicopaintedotherfrescoesinthemonasterythatweremeantforprivatedevotion.“Transfiguration”isadevotionalfrescopaintedwithoutanygoldorbrightcolors,butstilldis-playsthepureintensityandreverenceofthesubjectmatter. Afewyearslater,in1445,AngelicotraveledtotheVaticaninRomewherehewasofferedtobeappointedtheArchbishopofFlorence,ahigh-rankingleadershippositionintheCatholicchurch,butherefusedbecauseofhiscommitmenttopresentthegloryofGodthroughhisartwork.WhileinRome,heandhisapprenticespaintedfrescoesintheVaticanchapel.Theycoveredthewallsingoldleafwhichgavethefeelingofbeinginsideofajewelbox. FraAngelicolivedfrom1395-1455andpaintedmanyfres-coesandaltarpiecescontainingdivinesubjectsthatinspiredmanyotherartistsoftheRenaissance.

Madonna and the Saints, San Marco Altarpiece,FraAngelico,temperaonwood,1439.DoverPub.

Transfiguration,FraAngelico,fresco,1440-42.WikiartPublicDomain.


Take a Closer Look

1.LookatMadonna and the Saints, San Marco Altarpiece,byFraAngelico,1439. •Whatarethemostpopularcolors?(Blueandred-orange.) •AngelicouseslinearperspectivetoemphasizeMary’simportance.Canyoufindthehorizonline,vanishingpointand

orthogonallines(diagonallinesthatleadtothevanishingpoint)?(Seethephotoontherightforanswers) •Thetwomenonthebottomfrontrepresentthedonorsofthepainting.ThemanontheleftisCosimoMedici.Ifyou

drewalinebetweentheheadsofthetwomenandtheheadofMary,whatshapewoulditmake?(Itwouldmakeanequilateraltriangle.ThistrianglearrangementbecamepopularinRenaissancepaintingandsculpturebecauseitshowedsymmetricalbalanceandorder.)

•WhatdoyouthinktheminiaturepaintingofJesusisabout?(Sincethisaltarpiecewasplacedatthefrontofthechurch,wherethepriestspreparedthebreadandwineforcommunion,thepaintingofJesussymbolizestheconsecratedbodyandblood.)

Havestudentslookattheartworkonthefollowingpagesandanswerthesequestions:

2.LookatThe Annunciation,byFraAngelico,1450. •Doyouknowwhatstoryisbeingtoldinthispainting?(TheangelGabrielistellingMarythatshewillbecomepregnant

withGod’sson.) •Thisfrescoisonawallatthetopofastairwayandappearstobelikeawindowlookingoutontoagarden.Angelicoused

thesamearchitecturalfeaturesofthebuildingwhereitislocated.Whatarchitecturalfeaturesdoyousee?(Corinthiancolumns,barrelvaultedceilings,rectangulardoorsandsquarewindows.)

•Howdidhecreatetheillusionofspaceandthreedimensionalforms?(Heusedshadowsintheceilingandfoldsintheclothing.Heattemptedlinearperspective.)

•WhatkindofpersondoesMaryappeartobe?(Humble,reverent,serious,gentle.)

VanishingPoint

OnePointLinearPerspective


FraAngelico,Madonna and the Saints, San Marco Altarpiece,1439,Temperaonwood.DoverPub.


FraAngelico, The Annunciation,1450,Fresco.LocatedintheSanMarcoConvent.DoverPub.


Practice Drawing the Madonna and Child

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SuppliesNeeded:whitedrawingpaper9x12,pencil,crayonsoroilpastels,blackconstructionpaper9x12,goldfoilwrap-pingpaperortissuepaper,scissors,gluestick.

Drawwithapencilontowhitedrawingpaperbyfollowingthesteps.Colorwithcrayonoroilpastel.

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Usea3”and4”circletemplatetotraceontogoldtissueorgoldwrappingpaperfoil.Cutoutandglueontoblackconstruc-tionpaperwheretheheadsarepositioned.

Cutoutthecoloreddrawingandglueontopofthegoldcircles.

Alternative:Insteadofusinggoldfoilcirclesandblackconstructionpaper,drawandcolorgoldhalosdirectlyontothewhitepaper.

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7. Connect the two dots on the bottom and top with a horizontal lines. These lines should be parallel with the bot-tom and top edge of the paper.

1. Use an 8 1/2 x 11” piece of paper. Fold one corner over diagonally to create a diagonal fold. Unfold paper.

6. Use a ruler to measure and mark a point along each orthogonal line that is 2 inches from the top and bottom of the paper.

10. Draw Mary and baby Jesus inside.

9. Erase unwanted lines.

8. Connect the dots with two vertical lines. Use a ruler for accuracy. These lines are parallel to the vertical sides of the paper.

2. Fold the opposite corner over diago-nally to create an diagonal fold that crosses the first one. Unfold paper.

3. Fold the extra edge up at the diagonal fold marks. Cut off the bottom rectangle or fold it to the back so it’s unseen. The paper should be a square.

4. Fold the square in half. Unfold paper.

5. Use a ruler to lightly draw lines over the folds. This is the horizon line and orthogonal lines.

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Practice Drawing Linear Perspective