Fra Angelico (c. 1387–1455)
Fra Angelico was born around 1387 as Guido di Pietro and died in 1455. He was a Dominican friar and was widely respected because of his gentle personality. While he started in the monastery as an illustrator of manuscripts, he became known as a masterful painter of altarpieces. Only after his death the name Fra Angelico was given to him. In his work he freely interpreted biblical stories, rather than accurately depicting the stories, to trigger spiritual responses of the people seeing those paintings and to stimulate prayer.
Blogs about Works of Fra Angelico
Coronation of the Virgin (c. 1430-1435) in the Uffizi Museum
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Adoration of the Magi (c. 1440-1460)
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Further Readings
- The Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari: This is the first and most famous art history book, discussing the lives of Italian artists between the 13th and 16th centuries, including Fra Angelico. If you love art history, this is a must-have (Amazon link).