fra angelico (about 1400‐1455) angelico_.pdffra angelico (about 1400‐1455) in today’s society,...

FraAngelico

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FraAngelico(about1400‐1455)

In today’s society, we frequently see artists, musicians, and actors reaching forsensationalismandshockingmoralitytoattractpeopletotheirart.The15thcenturymaster artist, Fra Angelico, instead gives us anothermodel—while practicing hiscraft, he remained so pious that people changedhis name from “FraGiovanni” to“BeatoAngelico”(“Blessed”“Angelic”).

MuseumTourWewillbetakingavirtual tourofFraAngelico’smost famousworks.Whenyouareconnected to the Internet, click on the buttons and youwill be brought towebsiteswhere you can find additional images and information on the artist. To get thegreatestbenefitof this tour, takeasketchpad inhandanddrawfromFraAngelico’spaintings, also taking notes of any thoughts or impressions that you may have. Ifdrawingisnotsomethingyouarecomfortablewith,justenjoythepictures,absorbingthecolors,formsanddesign.

Clues:1.Cortona2.Famouspainterin15thcenturyTuscany3.DominicanFriar4.IlluminatedManuscripts5.PaintedAltarpieces6.PatronofCatholicArtists

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SanDomenicoAltarpiece(1423‐24)FraAngelicopaintedthisAltarpiece (clue#5)early inhiscareer.FraAngelicohadbeenapainterof illuminatedmanuscripts (clue#4), and in thisaltarpieceyoucansee some of the typical characteristics of theseminiature illustrations: decorativelines, luminous colors, and the use of gold. Also, the figures in the illuminatedmanuscripts did not have a strong sense of three‐dimensionalform. For an online tour of an exquisitely illuminatedmanuscript,clickonthelink.

http://www.themorgan.org/collections/works/cleves/manuscriptEnlarge.asp?page=1

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DescentFromtheCross(1434)AroundthetimethatFraAngelicopaintedthisaltarpiece,hewasalreadyoneofthemostfamouspaintersin15thcenturyTuscany(clue#2).Inthesepanels,youcanseethatthisartist integratedarecedinglandscapeintothecompositionofthefigures.ThiswasamajorstepforwardinthedevelopmentoftheRenaissancestyle,andinfactmanyarthistorians feel this is the first time it hadbeendone successfully inItaly.

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TheAnnunciation(1433‐34)FraAngelicocompletedseveralpaintingsoftheAnnunciation.OnebeautifulversioncanbefoundinCortona(clue#1),attheMuseoDiocesano.Thepainter/friarexhibitsin this altarpiece his knowledge of the “new theories” of perspective with hisrealisticrenderingoftheportico.

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SanMarco,Florence(1436–1445)Fra Angelico, being aDominican friar (clue #3), took residence at the DominicancloisterofSanMarcoinFlorenceduringtheyears1436‐1445.Herehedecoratedthewalls of the cells of the friars so that they would have inspiration for theirmeditationsandprayer.Belowaresomeofthepaintingsinthecells—ifyouwouldliketoseeadditionalones,youcanclickonthelinktotheright.

NoliMeTangere(Cell1)

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/a/angelico/09/cells/index.html

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PresentationofJesusintheTemple(Cell10)

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InstitutionoftheEucharist(Cell35)

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SanMarcoAltarpiece(1438‐1443)In this panel, Fra Angelico once again shows his skill at including a landscapebackground.Inaddition,thecompositionshowsawonderfulandstablesymmetry.There isa strongsenseof space in frontof the throne, createdby theperspectivelinesofthefloor.Thecurtainsattheupperrightandleftcornersalsohelpincreasethissenseofspace.AnothernewdevelopmentinthispaintingisthattheangelsandtheVirginaregroupedtogetherinthecomposition.Thiscompositionaltechniqueiscalled“SacredConversations”andwasusedfrequentlyintheRenaissancebyotherartists,suchasRaphael.

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NiccolineChapel(1447‐1451)PopeNicholasVcalledFraAngelicotoRometodecoratethewallsoftheNiccolineChapel at the Vatican. In the fresco below, Fra Angelico creates a strong sense ofspace with his beautifully rendered architectural details that follow the laws ofperspective.

FraAngelico livedanexemplary lifeofpietyandcaring for thepoor,andbelievedhis paintings were divinely inspired. In 1982, Pope John Paul II beatified FraAngelico,andsoonafterdeclaredhimpatronofCatholicArtists(clue#6).

fra angelico (about 1400‐1455) angelico_.pdffra angelico (about 1400‐1455) in today’s society,...

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