,,fra ,,angelico  ,,by  ,j4 ,b4 ,,supino
  ,,translated  ,,by  ,,leader ,,scott4 
,,florence  ,,alinari ,,brothers1       
,,publishers4  #aijb4  ,,all ,,rights   
,,reserved  ,printed by ,barbra--,alfani
 and ,venturi1 proprietors ,florence4   
99       99       99       99       99  
,illustration3 ,the ,annunciation4      
7,convent of ,san ,marco1 ,florence7    
,,index4   ,beato ,angelico--,proem     
,page  #e  ,i4--,fra ,angelico at       
,cortona and ,perugia 7#adji-adah7      
#bi  ,,ii4--,fra ,angelico at ,fiesole  
7#adah-adcf7                            
#ee  ,,iii4--,fra ,angelico at ,florence
 7#adcf-adde7                        #ic
            ,san ,marco                 
#ie            ,in the ,gallery of      
,ancient and ,modern ,art               
#aca  ,,iv4--,fra ,angelico at ,rome and
 ,orvieto 7#adde-adee7                  
#aee  ,index to the ,illustrations      
#agi     ,illustration  ,illustration3  
,angels of the ,last ,judgement4        
,tradition shows us ,fra ,giovanni      

,angelico absorbed in his work1 and     
either caressing with his brush one of  
those graceful angelic figures which    
have made him immortal1 or reverently   
outlining the sweet image of the ,virgin
 before which he himself would kneel in 
adoration4 ,legend pictures him devoutly
 prostrate in prayer before commencing  
work1 that his soul might be purified1  
and fitted to understand and render the 
divine subject2 and again in oration    
after leaving his easel1 to thank heaven
 for having given him power to make his 
holy visions visible to other eyes4     
,but has tradition any foundation in    
fact8 ,why not8 ,through his numberless 
works we may easily divine the soul of  
the artist1 and can well understand1 how
 the calm and serene atmosphere of the  
monastic cell1 the church perfumed with 
incense1 and the cloister vibrating with
 psalms1 would develop the mystic       
sentiment in such a mind4  ,and can we  
disregard tradition in face of such     
humility of life1 such beauty of work1  

exquisite refinement of feeling1 and    
sweetness of expression6  ,among all the
 masters who have attempted to imbue the
 human form with the divine spirit1 he  
is perhaps the only one who succeeded in
 producing pure celestial figures1 and  
this with such marvellous simplicity of 
line1 that they have become the glory of
 his art4  ,whether it be the ,virgin   
enthroned amidst groups of cherubim     
sounding heavenly trumpets1 or ,christ  
blessing the just and driving away      
sinners2 whether the martyrs supporting 
their torments with superhuman          
resignation1 the apostles preaching the 
gospel1 or angels free in the air and   
chanting celestial glories2 the same    
spirit is in them all--at once intense1 
devout1 and utterly pure1 in which the  
fervent believer and the true artist are
 inseparably blended4  ,the reason is1  
that ,fra ,giovanni put into his work   
the flame of an overpowering passion2   
under his touch features were           
beautified1 and figures animated with a 

new mystic grace4 ,he threw himself     
entirely into his art which thus became 
the spontaneous expression of his soul4 
,it was the custom of ,fra ,giovanni1   
says ,vasari1 to abstain from retouching
 or improving any painting once         
finished4 ,he altered nothing1 but left 
all as it was done the first time1      
believing1 as he said1 that such was the
 will of ,god4 ,it is also affirmed that
 he would never take his pencil in hand 
until he had first offered a prayer4 ,he
 is said never to have painted a        
crucifix without tears streaming from   
his eyes1 and in the countenances and   
attitudes of his figures it is easy to  
perceive proof of his sincerity1 his    
goodness1 and the depth of his devotion 
to the religion of ,christ4#a  ,how this
 devout mind1 full of the figurative    
sacred writings then current1 must have 
overflowed with visions1 ecstasies and  
miracles6 ,and what tremors of awe must 
he have felt1 in putting these visions  
into colour6 ,his ,madonnas1 their      

features suffused with candour and      
humility1 bend with maternal grace      
hitherto unwitnessed1 in loving         
contemplation of the ,son1 or--mothers  
in glory--they bow to receive the homage
 of the ,redeemer4 ,his saints          
ecstatically gaze at luminous celestial 
apparitions2 his golden winged angels   
dance lightly beneath the throne of     
their ,lord or sound merrily the most   
various instruments1 singing3 laudate   
,dominum4441 laudate eum in sono tub1   
laudate eum in psalterio et cithara1    
laudate eum in timpano et choro4442 or  
else with their fair curly heads        
downcast they reverently worship the    
divine majesty4 ,what a feast of light  
and colour is in these panels1 gleaming 
with azure and gold like a hymn to      
religion and faith6  ,we know from him  
how the pious imagination of the men of 
his time pictured the ,kingdom of       
,heaven1 with the angels1 saints1 and   
blessed ones1 and on this account alone 
his pictures would have been of         

extraordinary importance in the history 
of religion4 ,not to love ,fra ,angelico
 would mean to lack the true sentiment  
of ancient art1 for though we recognize 
the pious navet of the monk1 there is in
 the heavenly beauty of his figures1 and
 the joy of youthful faith which        
animates the artist1 a charm unequalled 
in the whole history of ,art6#b         
,whether ,fra ,angelico ever actually   
had a master1 it is impossible to       
ascertain4 ,there are critics who affirm
 that if anyone initiated him in art1   
imbuing him with his own sentiment and  
style1 it might have been the           
,camaldolese monk ,lorenzo ,monaco2 but 
,cavalcaselle justly observes that      
between ,angelico and ,lorenzo ,monaco  
there only exists that affinity which in
 coetaneous artists results from        
community of thought1 social conditions1
 and religious sentiments4 ,two monks   
like the ,camaldolese and the ,dominican
 might well show the same ideas1 without
 implying a relation of master and      

scholar between them4#c  ,both critics  
and historians1 however1 agree in the   
assertion that he began his career in   
art by illuminating codices and choral  
books4 ,baldinucci and ,rosini judge    
that his master in painting was the     
,florentine ,gherardo ,starnina1 whom   
,lanzi designates as a painter of       
life-like style4 ,but ,padre ,marchese  
refuting this opinion observes that not 
to mention ,vasari's silence on the     
matter1 the fact is very doubtful1      
because ,gherardo passed many years in  
,spain1 and returning to his native land
 died in #adjc1 when little ,guido of   
,mugello#d was only #af years old1 an   
age which scarcely admits of the first  
steps in ,art4#e ,but the date of       
,starnina's death is now corrected and  
proved to have been in #adjh1 so1 taking
 into account the character of our      
artist's works1 nothing need now be     
opposed to the theory that ,fra         
,giovanni may have profited by the      
teaching of that master1 while living in

 ,florence after his return from ,spain2
 besides it is not proved whether that  
journey to ,spain was ever really taken4
 ,historians1 it is true1 tell us that  
,starnina1 being obliged to leave       
,florence after the ,ciompi riots       
7#acgh71 took refuge in ,spain1 where he
 lived several years2 but it is certain 
that in #achg his name was inscribed in 
the ,guild of ,florentine painters4#f   
,vasari does not doubt that ,fra        
,angelico1 like other artists from      
,masaccio onwards1 acquired his skill by
 studying the frescoes of the ,brancacci
 ,chapel2#g but besides the fact that   
the style of those pictures is          
diametrically opposed to ,fra           
,angelico's1 the latter could not       
possibly have been in ,masaccio's       
school1 for as he was born in #achg1 he 
was fifteen years older than ,masaccio  
and already a proved master1 when the   
,carmine frescoes were being painted4   
,fra ,angelico's style is so individual 
and characteristic1 that it might rather

 be considered as springing from his own
 disposition1 developed under the       
influence of his time4 ,studying the    
works left in ,florence by his great    
predecessors1 leading a retired life1   
and purifying every idea1 every         
inspiration in the fire of religion1    
,angelico was enabled1 by meditation1 to
 perfect the models of the best artists 
of the trecento1 among whom we should   
opine that the influence of ,orcagna in 
his frescoes in the ,strozzi ,chapel of 
,s4 ,m4 ,novella1 was greater even than 
that of ,giotto4 ,indeed it is evident  
that what ,orcagna began1 is carried to 
the highest development in ,fra         
,angelico1 who combined softness and    
refinement with severity of form1 grace 
of expression with nobility of attitude4
  ,the figure of the ,virgin in the     
fresco of the ,judgment in the ,strozzi 
,chapel1 so grand and majestic in its   
simplicity1 is again recognisable in the
 panels of ,fra ,angelico1 imitated with
 his own especial character and         

spiritual feeling1 full of grace and    
humility1 the soft lines breathing      
beauty and lightness4 ,the saints who   
appear to be actually in celestial      
repose1 have also inspired ,fra         
,giovanni2 the same gentle and          
contemplative expression which          
irradiates the features of the elect is 
again visible in our painter's figures4 
,in the colouring of both1 vivacity is  
combined with softness1 and vigour of   
chiaro-scuro goes together with         
transparency of tint4  ,nevertheless it 
is true that in certain respects1 ,fra  
,angelico might be said to belong to the
 same school as ,masolino4 ,they are1   
however1 at the antipodes from each     
other in sentiment and artistic         
interpretation1 for while the saintly   
,giovanni endeavoured to idealize the   
human figure and render it divine1      
,masolino1 like most of his             
contemporaries1 followed a style        
distinctly realistic2 yet it may be     
proved that in technique1 both followed 

the same rules1 and worked on similar   
principles4 ,in fact the similitude     
between the two painters noticeable in  
their composition1 softness of outline1 
lightness of figures1 and clear         
harmonious colouring1 tends to confirm  
the great artistic affinity which we    
have indicated4 ,both of them used rosy 
tints in the flesh1 with greenish and   
yellowish shadows1 both recall the older
 artists of the trecento in the         
perspective1 which is often incorrect1  
and out of proportion4 ,but how far     
superior is ,fra ,angelico when the work
 of both in its full aspect is compared6
  ,fra ,angelico has1 it is true1       
conventional forms1 and there is a      
certain sameness in his heads with their
 large oval countenances2 the small     
eyes1 outlined round the upper arch of  
the eyebrow1 and with a black spot for  
pupils1 sometimes lack expression1 or   
have a too monotonous one1 and the iris 
is often lost in the white of the       
cornea2 his mouths are always drawn     

small with a thickening of the lips in  
the centre1 and the corners strongly    
accentuated2 the colour of his faces is 
either too pink or too yellow2 the folds
 of the robes 7often independent of the 
figure1 especially in the lower part7   
fall straight1 and in the               
representations of the seated ,virgin   
expand on the ground1 as if to form the 
foot of a chalice4 ,but in his frescoes 
these faults of conventional manner     
almost entirely disappear1 giving place 
to freer drawing1 more life-like        
expression1 and a character of greater  
power4  ,we will not repeat with ,vasari
 that ,fra ,giovanni perfected his art  
from the frescoes of the ,brancacci     
,chapel2 but we do not doubt that he too
 felt the beneficent influx of the new  
style1 of which ,masaccio was the       
greatest champion1 and that he followed 
it1 leaving behind1 up to a certain     
point1 the primitive giottesque forms4  
,there is in his art1 the great medival 
ideal rejuvenated and reinvigorated by  

the spirit of newer times4 ,being in the
 beginning of his career1 as is         
generally believed1 only an illuminator1
 he continued1 with subtle delicacy and 
accurate1 almost timid design1 to       
illuminate in larger proportions on his 
panels1 those figures which are often   
only parts of a decorative whole4 ,but  
in his later works while still          
preserving the simplicity of handling1  
and the innate character of his style1  
he displays a new tendency1 and learns  
to give life to his figures1 not only by
 the expression of purity and sweet     
ecstasy1 but in finer particularization 
of form and action which he reproduces  
in more material style4  ,his clear     
diaphanous transparency of colouring is 
not used from lack of technical ability1
 but to approach more nearly to his     
ideal of celestial and divine visions1  
and succeed in a species of pictorial   
religious symbolism4  ,in the midst of  
his calm and serene compositions ,fra   
,angelico has figures in which a healthy

 realism is strongly accentuated2       
figures drawn with decision1 strong     
chiaro-scuro and robust colouring1 which
 show that he did not deliberately      
disdain the progress made in art by his 
contemporaries4 ,indeed we should err in
 believing that ,fra ,angelico was      
unwilling to recognize the artistic     
developments going on around him1 and   
the new tendencies followed by his      
eminent neighbours ,ghiberti1           
,brunelleschi and ,donatello4 ,it was   
not so2 but he only profited by the     
movement as far as he deemed possible   
without losing his own sentiment and    
character2 thus giving a rare example of
 self-knowledge4  ,perhaps he divined   
that if he had followed the new current 
too closely1 it would have carried him  
farther than he wished to go2 that the  
new manner would have removed him for   
ever from his ideal2 in a word1 that too
 intense study of the real1 would have  
diminished or entirely impeded fantasy  
and feeling4 ,he instinctively saw these

 perils1 and therefore kept himself     
constant to his old style1 and while    
perfecting himself in it1 he still      
remained what he always had been1 and   
what he felt he should be4  ,though     
constrained to repeat to excess the     
usual subjects1 too traditionally drawn1
 he often1 as ,burckhardt writes1       
understood how to avoid in the features 
of his saintly personages that aspect of
 abstract impersonality1 which had      
hitherto marked them1 and to animate    
them with delicate and individual life4 
,he succeeded in giving a new character 
to the time-honoured types used in      
preceding artistic representations4 ,to 
prove this it is sufficient to cite the 
,st4 ,john ,baptist--one of ,fra        
,angelico's finest creations4  ,he      
modifies the traditional type of ,christ
 according to his own faith and feeling4
 ,deriving it from ,giotto1 with        
improvements gathered from ,orcagna1 he 
excels both masters1 impressing on it a 
divine character1 and giving to the face

 of the ,man ,god a sweet gentleness    
which is truly sublime4 ,these qualities
 reach the highest grade in the         
,coronation of the ,virgin at the       
,convent of ,san ,marco1 and in the     
picture at ,pisa#h where the ,saviour is
 represented standing upright1 in the   
act of blessing with his right hand1    
while in the uplifted left he holds a   
golden cup4  ,he is represented full    
face1 in all his majesty1 his features  
of an exquisite sweetness and           
nobility1--a grand figure1 which has all
 the seduction of a vision1 such as our 
,dominican alone could conceive and     
design4  ,as he could1 in a manner no   
one had ever done before1 give to the   
figure of the living ,christ the        
expression of infinite goodness1 ready  
for sacrifice2 so in his ,crucifixions1 
instead of following the example of his 
contemporaries1 who depicted ,christ    
already dead1 with marks of sorrow on   
,his features1 and contorted by the     
spasm of a violent death2 he represented

 ,him living1 calm and serene1 conscious
 of the sacrifice ,he completed1 and    
full of joy in dying for man's          
salvation4  ,the type of the ,virgin1   
too1 though its characteristic          
construction of features1 and short and 
receding chin1 are derived from the     
,sienese masters1 especially from       
,lorenzetti1 in ,fra ,angelico responds 
to an artistic idealization chosen by   
him as approaching more the divinity of 
her person4 ,the flowing robes of the   
,virgin show her long and refined hands1
 but beneath that mantle he draws no    
feminine figure nor can one even guess  
at it4 ,all the power of the artist is  
concentrated in her face    umile in    
tanta gloria1  7humble in such great    
glory7  on which the artist has         
impressed such candour1 and so lively an
 expression of ineffable grace1 that one
 is involuntarily moved to devotion4    
,the divine child with its golden curls1
 full and sunny face1 wide open and     
sparkling eyes1 is in the pictures at   

,cortona and ,perugia depicted with rosy
 fingers in the act of blessing2 in the 
,madonna della ,stella ,he embraces ,his
 mother so closely that ,he almost hides
 ,himself in her bosom2 in the great    
azure-surrounded tabernacle of the      
,linen ,guild1 ,he is smiling2 while in 
the fresco of the corridor at ,san      
,marco1 ,he has an ingenuous wondering  
gaze as ,he holds forth ,his little     
hand1--an expression so natural that it 
shows a happy grafting of ideal         
representation1 on a conscientious and  
close study of the real4  ,full of      
character1 too1 are the heads of his old
 people1 with flowing beards and severe 
aspect1 and those of his saints and     
martyrs1 which were evidently either    
young novices of the convent1           
contemporary brethren1 or elder         
companions in the faith1 portrayed with 
sapient and ingenuous realism4 ,but the 
figures which most brilliantly display  
his genius1 are those diaphanous angels1
 robed in flowing tunics1 resplendent   

with gold1 and of infinite variety4     
,while admiring that multitude of       
celestial creatures1 who praise1 sing   
and dance around the radiant ,madonnas1 
how can we doubt that they have visited 
his cell1 and that he has lived with    
them in a fraternal and sweet           
familiarity8#i  ,even when he has to    
represent scenes of passion1 ,fra       
,angelico mitigates the violence of     
action with softness of sentiment1 for  
anger and disdain never entered his     
soul2 and in their place he prefers to  
reproduce one character alone in all his
 figures with their gentle expression4  
,it is his own character1 with its      
angelic goodness of heart1 which he     
incarnates in the divine beauty of all  
these celestial beings4 ,as in name and 
art1 so in real life he was truly       
angelic1 for he spent his whole time in 
the service of ,god1 and the good of his
 neighbour and the world4  ,and what    
more can or ought to be desired1 than by
 thus living righteously1 says ,vasari1 

to secure the kingdom of heaven1 and by 
labouring virtuously1 to obtain         
everlasting fame in this world8 ,and1 of
 a truth1 so extraordinary and sublime a
 gift as that possessed by ,fra         
,giovanni1 should scarcely be conferred 
on any but a man of most holy life1     
since it is certain that all who take   
upon them to meddle with sacred and     
ecclesiastical subjects1 should be men  
of holy and spiritual minds4444  ,fra   
,giovanni was a man of the utmost       
simplicity of intention1 and was most   
holy in every act of his life4444 ,he   
disregarded all earthly advantages2 and1
 living in pure holiness1 was as much   
the friend of the poor in life as ,i    
believe his soul now is in heaven4 ,he  
laboured continually at his paintings1  
but would do nothing that was           
unconnected with things holy4 ,he might 
have been rich1 but for riches he took  
no care2 on the contrary1 he was        
accustomed to say1 that the only true   
riches was contentment with little4 ,he 

might have commanded many1 but would not
 do so1 declaring that there was less   
fatigue and less danger of error in     
obeying others1 than in commanding      
others4 ,it was at his option to hold   
places of dignity in the brotherhood of 
his ,order1 and also in the world2 but  
he regarded them not1 affirming that he 
sought no dignity and took no care but  
that of escaping hell and drawing near  
to ,paradise4 ,and1 of a truth1 what    
dignity can be compared to that which   
should be most coveted by all churchmen1
 nay1 by every man living1 that1 namely1
 which is found in ,god alone1 and in a 
life of virtuous labour8  ,fra ,giovanni
 was kindly to all1 and moderate in all 
his habits1 living temperately1 and     
holding himself entirely apart from the 
snares of the world4 ,he used frequently
 to say1 that he who practised the art  
of painting had need of quiet1 and      
should live without cares or anxious    
thoughts2 adding1 that he who would do  
the work of ,christ should perpetually  

remain with ,christ4 ,he was never seen 
to display anger among the brethren of  
his order2 a thing which appears to me  
most extraordinary1 nay1 almost         
incredible2 if he admonished his        
friends1 it was with gentleness and a   
quiet smile2 and to those who sought his
 works1 he would reply with the utmost  
cordiality1 that they had but to obtain 
the assent of the prior1 when he would  
assuredly not fail to do what they      
desired4 ,in fine1 this                 
never-sufficiently-to-be-lauded father  
was most humble1 modest1 and excellent  
in all his words and works2 in his      
painting he gave evidence of piety and  
devotion1 as well as of ability1 and the
 saints that he painted have more the   
air and expression of sanctity than have
 those of any other master4#aj  ,fra    
,giovanni ,angelico1 whose worldly name 
was ,guido or ,guidolino 7little ,guy71 
was born in the year #achg2 his father  
was named ,piero 7surname not known7 of 
,vicchio in the ,mugello2--that pleasant

 valley which boasts of having given    
birth to ,giotto4  ,vasari asserts that 
,guido's brother ,benedetto1 a          
miniaturist1 was also very clever in a  
larger style of painting1 but the       
researches of ,milanesi quite refute    
this opinion1 and show that ,benedetto  
did nothing more than copy choral books1
 and that he continued this kind of work
 till his death4#aa  ,the most ancient  
chronicles of the convent of ,st4 ,mark 
and ,st4 ,dominic at ,fiesole1 writes   
,milanesi when registering the death of 
,fra ,benedetto brother of ,angelico1 in
 the year #addh1 remark simply that he  
was a very good writer1 and that he     
wrote and annotated the choral books of 
,st4 ,mark and some of those of ,st4    
,dominic4 ,we have only the evidence in 
,vasari and the ,annali del ,convento di
 ,san ,marco1 written after his ,lives  
of the ,painters to prove that he was a 
miniaturist4#ab  ,in these ,annals it is
 added1 with more historical truth1 that
 although ,angelico might have          

conveniently lived in the world1 and    
besides his own possessions might have  
gained any income he chose1 with the art
 for which he was famous even in his    
youth1 yet1 for his own satisfaction and
 peace1 being by nature steady and good1
 and chiefly also for the salvation of  
his soul he preferred to take the vows  
in the order of the ,preaching monks4#ac
 ,this happened in #adjg4  ,on the      
slopes of the smiling hill of ,fiesole  
the foundations of a new convent were   
being laid by ,giovanni ,dominici1 the  
great preacher and reformer1 who wished 
in this new monastery to give a model to
 all the cloistered orders which at the 
close of the preceding century had      
greatly fallen from their ancient       
observances4 ,st4 ,antonino was among   
the first to embrace this reform1 and   
after two years ,guidolino and his      
brother followed his example1 choosing  
the robes of ,st4 ,dominic4  ,on being  
received by the ,dominicans they were   
sent to ,cortona1 where ,st4 ,antonino  

and others already resided1 there being 
as yet no novitiate at the ,fiesole     
convent4 ,in #adjh they took the        
irrevocable vows1 but it cannot be      
ascertained whether they still remained 
at ,cortona1 or returned at once to     
their own convent at ,fiesole4 ,if the  
latter1 the two brothers must have been 
involved in the vicissitudes of the     
,fiesolan convent1 which1 refusing to   
acknowledge ,pope ,alexander ,v4 7who   
was elected by the ,council of ,pisa    
#adji71 entered into a fierce contest   
with the archbishop of ,florence4 ,the  
convent was abandoned by its inmates who
 fled to ,foligno to avoid the rule of  
,fra ,tommaso da ,fermo1 ,general of the
 ,order1 who had sworn obedience to the 
new ,pope4 ,they were received as guests
 at ,foligno by ,ugolino de' ,trinci1   
lord of the city1 and ,federigo ,frezzi1
 author of the ,quadriregio4 ,here they 
passed five years1 being treated with   
great benevolence by their brethren1 nor
 did they leave until driven away by the

 plague in #adad1 when they again took  
shelter at ,cortona where they remained 
till #adah4  ,when ,guidolino entered   
the convent and took the name of        
,giovanni1 he must have been already    
expert in art2 for the vicissitudes     
which followed could certainly not have 
facilitated the study of painting4 ,in  
fact his works which remain at ,cortona 
are in so youthful a style1 and bear the
 imprint of such freshness as to remove 
all doubt on this generally accepted    
assertion4  ,while staying at ,foligno1 
the ,fiesolan refugees propagated that  
severe form of life and strict          
observance which ,giovanni ,dominici had
 taught in his convent at ,fiesole1 and 
brother ,giovanni again began his       
artistic work1 for painting was to him  
like prayer1 i4 e4 his usual way of     
raising his mind and heart to ,god4     
,unfortunately few of these first works 
have been preserved1 but from those few 
we are assured that he studied in       
,florence1 from which school alone he   

could have appropriated the noble manner
 impressed on all his works2 and that   
those who perceive an ,umbrian influence
 in his art1 are very far from the      
truth4  ,there may be some elements     
common to both the ,umbrian art and that
 of ,angelico2 this1 however1 does not  
depend so much on the teaching of the   
school1 as on technical affinity2       
insomuch as ,umbrian painting in its    
lucidity1 charm and accuracy of colour1 
is in some measure derived from the art 
of illumination1 and most probably ,fra 
,angelico took his style from the same  
source1 as even in his most perfect     
works1 he always preserved a remembrance
 of it4  ,in fact1 his patient diligence
 and study of detail render his pictures
 so many miniatures1 done in larger     
proportions2 the lucidity of tint1 the  
grace of the ornamental motives1 the    
almost exaggerated minuteness of        
execution1 are decided proofs of the    
artistic education of ,fra ,angelico4   
,it is pleasant to imagine him1 during  

his sojourn at ,foligno and ,cortona1   
making pilgrimages to ,assisi1 to draw  
inspiration from the works of the great 
masters in the splendid church of ,san  
,francesco4 ,there he found his old     
friends1 and might at a glance admire   
together ,giotto1 ,simone ,martini1 and 
,lorenzetto4 ,we should say he admired  
,simone and ,lorenzetto more than       
,giotto1 for the grace of their figures1
 refinement of execution1 and greater   
richness of the accessories1 robes and  
ornamentation1 together with the        
pleasing brilliance of colouring1 all   
approached more nearly to ,fra          
,giovanni's own artistic sentiment than 
the style of ,giotto4  ,and even less   
than the ,umbrian painters or           
miniaturists 7if indeed there were any  
worthy to influence the artistic spirit 
of our artist7 did the landscape of     
verdant ,umbria stir his soul1 which    
even the sweet slopes of ,fiesole could 
not touch4  ,doubtless from the heights 
of the convent at ,cortona1 which       

dominates one of the finest views in    
,italy1 the young monk admired the      
beautiful horizon1 and enjoyed the      
splendour of the verdant plain1 and the 
blue mountains1 enwrapt in mists of     
purple and gold1 as he had often at     
sunrise and sunset1 enjoyed from his    
,fiesole convent the gentle fields and  
dales peopled with houses and olives2   
but1 after all1 these beauties of nature
 so often displayed before him1 were    
dumb to an artist who was wholly        
absorbed in visions beyond this world4  
,the study of the verdant country never 
occupied his mind2 in his paintings1    
landscape is either an insignificant    
accessory1 or if it occupies a large    
space in the picture as in the          
,deposition from the ,cross in the      
,florentine ,gallery1 it shows plainly  
that it is not the result of special    
study1 of personal impressions1 or of   
love of the place itself4 ,in fact it   
does not attract or interest the        
observer at all4  ,nor could this be    

otherwise2 the inner life of the spirit1
 which he lived so intensely1 and so    
vividly transfused in the figures of his
 ,saints1 must necessarily have         
abstracted his mind from his            
surroundings1 to which he therefore gave
 little attention4 ,in this he was      
faithful to the ,giottesque principle of
 not enriching the background1 except by
 just what was necessary to render the  
subject intelligible1 and this without  
pretension1 or new research4  ,his trees
 rose straight on their trunks1 the     
leaves and branches spreading in        
conventional style2 his rocks have the  
usual gradations which we find in the   
old school2 the views of distant cities 
are absolutely fantastic and infantile  
creations2 only the green plain is often
 illumined1 in an unusual manner1 by    
tiny flowerets of many hues1 while      
mystic roses crown the angels' locks1   
adorn overflowing baskets1 or rise on   
long stalks at the foot of the ,virgin's
 throne in transparent vases4  ,such are

 the characteristics1 the spirit and the
 sentiment that appear in the works of  
,fra ,angelico1 who might be considered 
as the last representative of that      
school of which ,giotto was master2 and 
at the same time the initiator of       
,quattrocento art1 whose powerful       
development irresistibly attracted him4 
,he painted so many pictures for the    
houses of ,florentine citizens1 that ,i 
was often astonished1 writes ,vasari1   
how one man alone could1 even in many   
years1 do so much and so well4 ,and we  
also1 justly observes ,milanesi1 are not
 less amazed than ,vasari1 for although 
many works have been dispersed or are   
still hidden1 yet a great number still  
remain both in ,italy and other         
countries1 and1 what is more remarkable1
 the greater part are not mentioned by  
,vasari4#ad  ,we will follow our artist 
in his different places of abode1 thus  
establishing the various periods of his 
life and artistic productions2 from the 
,fiesole hills1 where the first         

seedlings of his fantasy were sown1 to  
green ,umbria1 where his early works    
are1 works warm with enthusiasm1 faith  
and youthful candour3 from ,florence1   
which he enriched with admirable        
frescoes1 and innumerable pictures      
dazzling with gold and azure1 to ,rome1 
where he left his grand pictorial legacy
 in the oratory of ,pope ,nicholas ,v4  
,illustration3 ,angels of the ,last     
,judgement4     ,i4  ,,fra ,,angelico   
,,at ,,cortona ,,and ,,perugia4         
#adji-adah4  ,illustration3 ,,angel ,,of
 ,,the ,,annunciation4 7,pinacoteca1    
,perugia47   ,if1 after a study of the  
pictorial works of ,fra ,angelico1 any  
one should undertake to make a precise  
classification of them1 he              
would--although his frescoes are easy   
enough to classify--find himself        
confronted by no small difficulty in    
regard to the panel paintings4  ,so     
active and original was the artist1 and 
so grand in his simplicity1 that he     
always remained just what he appeared   

from the beginning1--the painter of     
ingenuous piety1 mystical ecstasy1 and  
intense religious fervour4              
,illustration3 ,,history ,,of ,,st4     
,,dominic',s ,,life4  ,no record is     
extant of his first visit to ,foligno1  
but in the church of ,st4 ,dominic at   
,cortona we may still admire a triptych 
with the ,virgin and four ,saints2 an   
,annunciation2 and two predelle2 one of 
which is said to have belonged to the   
picture of ,st4 ,dominic1 as the scenes 
relate to the life of that ,saint1 and  
the other with some stories of the      
,virgin1 to the ,annunciation mentioned 
above4  ,illustration3 ,,the            
,,resurrection ,,of ,,cardinal ,,de'    
,,ceccani',s ,,nephew4  ,to the story of
 ,st4 ,dominic 7which had already been  
treated in a masterly manner by ,fra    
,guglielmo1 in the arca at ,bologna1 and
 by ,traini in his picture at ,pisa71   
,fra ,angelico has1 in some scenes1     
given a fuller development1 but with    
less dramatic sentiment2 exactly the    

good and bad points which are more      
clearly shown in his other works4 ,the  
predella1 divided into seven parts1     
represents the birth of ,saint ,dominic2
 the dream of ,pope ,honorius ,,iii41 to
 whom the ,saint appears in act of      
steadying the falling church2 the       
meeting of the ,saint with ,st4         
,francis2 the confirmation of his rule  
by means of the ,virgin2 the visits of  
,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul2 the dispute 
with heretics2 the resurrection of the  
nephew of ,cardinal de' ,ceccani2 the   
supper of the ,saint and his brethren2  
and lastly his death4  ,illustration3   
,,death ,,of ,,st4 ,,dominic4  ,the     
scene of the resurrection of the young  
,napoleon1 nephew of ,cardinal ,stefano 
de' ,ceccani1 had been already          
powerfully depicted by ,traini2 in      
,angelico's hands it comes out          
restrained and cold1 the acts of        
amazement in the devotees present at the
 miracle1 who raise their hands in      
astonishment1 are too conventional3 and 

it is precisely in the intermingling of 
these gestures of sorrow for the death1 
and wonder for the revivication1 that   
the ,pisan artist has brought out his   
best effects4 ,as we have before pointed
 out1 the calm spirit of ,fra ,angelico 
avoided realistic representation2 his   
figures always suggest love1 faith and  
resignation1 but are never agitated2    
like the soul of their author1 they are 
incapable of violent action2 therefore  
when these should be drawn1 the         
representation falls below reality4 ,we 
shall see instances of this in other    
works of his4  ,illustration3 ,,the     
,,annunciation4 7,church of ,ges1       
,cortona47  ,one of ,angelico's most    
familiar subjects was the ,annunciation1
 and the most interesting of the        
,cortona pictures1 is that of the       
angel's visit to ,mary4 ,its motive is  
simple and clear1 as it was transmitted 
from early ,christian art2 the general  
lines are unchanged1 but the expression 
greatly so4 ,fra ,angelico did not      

disturb the religious solemnity of the  
apparition with useless accessories2    
faithful to his own sentiment1 he has   
clothed ,mary with humility4 ,she sits  
beneath the portico1 the book neglected 
on her lap1 her hands crossed1 and her  
drooping head inclined towards the      
heavenly messenger4 ,the golden-winged  
angel with roseate robe also bends      
before the ,virgin1 the right hand      
pointing to her breast and the left to  
the dove which sheds celestial rays on  
,mary's head4 ,in the background ,adam  
and ,eve are being expelled from the    
terrestrial ,paradise1 symbol of the    
ancient ,christian legend which directly
 connects the story of original sin with
 that of the ,redemption4  ,this mystic 
subject1 which does not lack grace and  
freshness in the ,cortona painting1     
finds its fuller development in ,san    
,marco at ,florence4 ,here the ,madonna 
is seated on a wooden stool1 her head   
projected forward almost in ecstasy1    
with hands clasped on her breast1 and in

 similar attitude the angel half kneels 
before her4 ,the scene takes place      
before a little grated window in the    
colonnade of a cloister1 utterly bare of
 ornament1 but in this very simplicity  
lies all the charm and poetry of        
,angelico4  ,before a subject so ideal1 
so solemn1 which reveals in such        
intensity of faith and feeling how his  
thought spontaneously turned to the     
prayer of the ,salutation which was     
certainly on the artist's lips as he    
painted1 or was inspired by some sweet  
,annunciation hymn such as this1 which  
probably has been often repeated before 
this entrancing picture3      ,alzando  
gli occhi vidi ,maria bella   ,col libro
 in mano1 e l' angel gli favella4       
,dinnanzi a lei si stava inginocchiato  
,quell' angel ,gabriel tanto lucente1   
,ed umilmente a lei ebbe parlato3       
,vergine pura1 non temer niente2        
,messaggio son di ,dio onnipotente1     
,che t' ha eletta e vuolti per sua      
sposa4      ,e poi le disse3 ,in cielo  

ordinato1   ,che siate madre del        
figliuol di ,dio1   ,per che gli angeli 
il padre han pregato1   ,che con effetto
 adempia el lor disio2   ,e da parte del
 sommo e buono ,dio1   ,questa          
benedizione a voi s' appella4           
,queste parole fur tanto infiammate   ,e
 circundate di virt d' amore1   ,che ben
 parean da ,dio fussin mandate1   ,e    
molto se n' allegra nel suo core3   ,da 
poi che piace all' alto ,dio ,signore1  
,io son contenta d' essere sua ancella4 
,ella si stava dentro alla sua cella1   
,e grande meraviglia si faceva1   ,per  
che a nessun uomo ella favella1   ,e    
molto timorosa rispondeva4   ,l' angelo 
disse allora3 ,ave ,maria1   ,di grazia 
tu se' piena1 o chiara stella4          
,allor discese lo ,spirito santo1       
,come un razzo di sol l' ha circundata1 
,poi dentro a lei entr quel frutto santo
   ,in quella sacrestia chiusa e        
serrata2   ,di poi partori inviolata    
,e si rimase vergine e donzella4      ,o
 veri amanti1 venite a costei1   ,quella

 che di bellezza  madonna3   ,l' aria e 
la terra si sostien per lei1   ,del ciel
 regina e del mondo colonna1   ,chi vuol
 veder la donzella gioconda   ,vada a   
veder la nunziata bella4#ae  ,the other 
predella at ,cortona represents various 
episodes in the life of the             
,virgin3--the ,nativity1 ,marriage1     
,visitation1 ,adoration of the ,magi1   
,presentation in the ,temple1 ,death1   
,burial and lastly the apparition of the
 ,virgin to the blessed ,dominican      
,reginald of ,orleans4 ,padre ,marchese 
believes that this last scene did not   
originally belong to the predella2 but  
the doubt is unfounded1 for nothing is  
more natural than the artist's wish to  
connect the history of the ,virgin with 
his ,order1 of which she is the         
patroness4  ,illustration3 ,,the        
,,marriage ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4         
7,cortona47  ,illustration3 ,,the       
,,marriage ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 7,uffizi
 ,gallery47  ,cavalcaselle1 as well as  
,marchese1 affirms that the scene of the

 ,marriage of the ,virgin reproduces    
that of the picture in the ,uffizi at   
,florence4 ,this may be1 as far as the  
subject and scene go1 but in the        
disposition of the figures1 the         
development of action1 the two works    
have nothing in common4 ,of course in   
both there must be the priest who unites
 the bridal couple1 and around them the 
usual personages in various attitudes of
 complaisance1 surprise1 and rejoicing1 
but the grouping of the figures in the  
predella at ,cortona is more naturally  
conceived4 ,the women on the right      
appear to come from the house where they
 had met to assist at the ceremony2 the 
men stand on the left4 ,the background  
with its portico1 and the walls1 above  
which the trees of a garden project1 are
 shown with more truth and solidity4 ,to
 give wider scope to the scene ,fra     
,angelico has depicted the marriage in  
an open space4 ,the picture in the      
,uffizi1 on the other hand1 is so       
conventional both in architecture and   

landscape that it is impossible to      
establish a comparison between the two4 
,illustration3 ,,the ,,visitation4  ,the
 ,visitation depicts the wife of        
,zacharias meeting the ,virgin1 and     
lovingly embracing her2 a serving maid  
leaning against the threshold1 half     
hidden by the door1 is listening with   
devotion1 while another woman kneels on 
the ground in the road raising her hands
 to heaven4  ,in the ,adoration of the  
,magi we find the usual qualities of    
composition and feeling4 ,one of the    
,kings has already rendered homage to   
the ,redeemer1 and is talking to ,st4   
,joseph1 who thanks him with earnest    
devotion2 and while the second falls    
prone before the divine ,child1 and     
kisses ,his feet with profound emotion1 
the third prepares himself to render the
 required homage4 ,all around are       
elegant little figures of pages and     
servants1 in life-like and natural      
attitudes4  ,illustration3 ,,adoration  
,,of ,,the ,,magi4  ,the last story     

represents the ,assumption of the       
,virgin1 at which1 according to ancient 
tradition1 ,christ is present and       
carries in his arms the soul of ,his    
mother in the form of a little child4   
,illustration3 ,,adoration ,,of ,,the   
,,magi4 7,uffizi ,gallery47  ,padre     
,marchese wrote that both the ,adoration
 and this ,assumption are in every      
respect similar1 or replicas of those in
 the ,uffizi4 ,if anything1 the pretty  
little panels of the ,uffizi might be   
replicas of the ,cortona ones2 but in   
,florence the only painting with the    
scene of the ,adoration of the ,magi is 
that in the predella of the tabernacle  
of the ,linen ,weavers' ,guild4 ,now1   
while the ,adoration in the ,cortona    
predella is naturally and simply        
pourtrayed1 that of ,florence is        
conventional and stiff1 the vacuity of  
some figures and their actions is very  
evident--therefore this similitude also 
reduces itself to mere identity of      
subject4 ,the ,assumption of the ,virgin

 also offers very notable differences4  
,the predella at ,cortona is more       
intense and severe1 more simple and     
hence more grand2 while the little panel
 in the ,uffizi shows that the effort to
 embellish the scene has been too much  
for the artist1 and the intensity of    
sentiment is greatly lessened1 being    
injured by useless accessories4 ,in that
 of ,cortona1 on the contrary1 the      
figures of the ,apostles who hold the   
sheet on which the ,virgin reposes are  
full of expression and natural in       
action1 the steep and mountainous       
background has severe and grand lines1  
as if to emphasize the sadness of the   
scene4 ,here the artist felt and        
created1 there he merely repeated       
himself4  ,illustration3 ,,the ,,death  
,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 7,cortona47        
,illustration3 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,the 
,,virgin4 7,uffizi ,gallery47  ,the     
triptych1 once on the great altar of the
 church of ,san ,domenico1 now at a side
 altar on the right1 has the ,virgin    

seated in the centre with the ,holy     
,child upright on her knee1 his right   
hand is raised in act of benediction1   
and with his left he holds a rose4      
,around the throne are four angels1 one 
of which carries a basket of flowers4   
,in the side panels are ,st4 ,matthew1  
,st4 ,john ,baptist1 ,st4 ,john the     
,evangelist and ,mary ,magdalene4 ,above
 in the central compartment of the      
triptych1 is the ,crucifixion and the   
two rounds on the sides represent the   
,annunciation4  ,in the ,chapel of      
,sant' ,orsola in ,san ,domenico at     
,perugia there was formerly a panel     
picture now divided into many parts and 
much damaged4 ,this was painted by ,fra 
,giovanni for the ,chapel of ,san       
,niccol de' ,guidalotti1 and may now be 
seen in the ,vannucci gallery at        
,perugia4  ,illustration3 ,,virgin ,,and
 ,,child ,,with ,,saints4 7,church of   
,st4 ,domenico1 ,cortona47  ,the ,virgin
 is enthroned with her ,son on her      
knees1 ,his right hand in act of        

benediction1 ,his left holding a half   
open pomegranate4 ,at the foot of the   
throne four angels are standing back1   
the two first lift up a basket full of  
white and red roses1 the others peep    
from behind the throne of the ,virgin   
who turns lovingly to her little ,son1  
who is entirely nude1 and as rosy as the
 angels' flowers1 and those in three    
vases at the foot of the throne4 ,on the
 right of the ,virgin are ,st4 ,john    
,baptist and ,st4 ,catherine2 on the    
left ,st4 ,dominic and ,st4 ,nicholas4  
,on the predella1 which is divided into 
three parts1 were once various scenes   
from the life of ,st4 ,nicholas of      
,bari1 two of these are now to be found 
in the ,vatican ,gallery4 ,in a complex 
composition1 they represent the birth of
 the ,saint2 his listening to the       
preaching of a bishop to a congregation 
of women seated in a flowery field2 the 
,saint saving from dishonour the        
daughters of a poor gentleman2 and the  
miracle of causing a hundred measures of

 wheat to rain down and relieve the     
famine in the city of ,nuri4 ,on the    
upper portion the ,saint appears from   
behind a rock1 having been invoked by   
some devotees to calm a tempest which   
threatened to wreck their bark4         
,illustration3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child4 
7,pinacoteca1 ,perugia47  ,the portion  
at ,perugia represents the miraculous   
salvation of three innocent youths1 sons
 of ,roman princes2 and the death and   
funeral of the ,saint4 ,in the lower    
part of the picture he is extended on   
the bier surrounded by monks1 women and 
poor people who weep his loss1 while    
above1 his soul is being led to heaven  
by four angels4 ,the frame of the       
painting is now divided into twelve     
fragments1 each one containing a small  
figure of a ,saint3 they are ,st4       
,romuald1 ,st4 ,gregory1 ,st4 ,laurence1
 ,st4 ,bonaventure1 ,st4 ,catherine1    
,st4 ,peter ,martyr1 ,st4 ,mary         
,magdalene1 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 ,st4 
,peter1 ,st4 ,stephen1 ,st4 ,paul and   

,st4 ,john4 ,the last four figures have 
been mutilated in the lower part1 and in
 these1 as well as the others1 the      
colouring is much injured4 ,if it were  
desired to complete the altar-piece1 at 
present1 the gables of the tripartite   
frame would be missing1 but there is no 
doubt that--as in the ,cortona          
picture--the two small rounds in the    
,perugian ,pinacoteca1 representing the 
,angel of the ,annunciation and the     
,virgin1 on gold backgrounds1 formed    
part4 ,padre ,marchese places this panel
 among the youthful works of the artist1
 because it shows more than his other   
works the manner and technique of       
,giotto's school4 ,padre ,timoteo       
,bottonio wrote that it was painted in  
#adcg1 but the ,dominican author adds   
that this is not likely1 as ,fra        
,giovanni ,angelico was at that time in 
,florence1 where the restoration of ,san
 ,marco was begun1 and also the building
 of the new convent which he adorned    
with so many marvellous frescoes4       

,illustration3 ,,birth1 ,,preaching     
,,and ,,miracles ,,of ,,st4 ,,nicholas4 
7,vatican1 ,rome47  ,illustration3 ,,the
 ,,death ,,of ,,st4 ,,nicholas4         
7,pinacoteca1 ,perugia47  ,this would   
actually signify little4 ,as the picture
 which is said to have been painted for 
the church of ,sant' ,andrea at ,brescia
 was naturally done at ,fiesole1 this   
one for ,perugia might well have been   
executed at ,florence4 ,but though it   
recalls the most characteristic works of
 the artist and1 for liveliness of      
colour and accurate study of form1 may  
be considered one of his most remarkable
 works1 we have no hesitation in        
ascribing it to his first artistic      
period4 ,in both these altar-pieces the 
grouping of the figures is still        
faithful to ,giottesque tradition2 it   
was only later1 i4 e4 when ,fra         
,angelico had felt the artistic         
influences developing around him1 that  
he placed the figures in one picture on 
different levels1 to make a circle round

 the ,mother of ,christ4  ,the type of  
the ,virgin herself in this ,perugian   
picture is similar to that of the       
,cortona panel2 they both have the eyes 
wide apart1 a short1 receding chin1 and 
small mouth2 characteristics which are  
also seen in the angels behind the      
,virgin's throne in the ,san ,domenico  
picture at ,cortona4 ,from an           
architectural view the throne has here a
 much more antique shape than in his    
later designs1 where ,renaissance forms 
predominate4 ,as to the picture at      
,perugia it has been so restored and    
arbitrarily put together after the panel
 was divided1 that it affords no serious
 proof of authenticity4  ,we must       
therefore conclude that the ,perugian   
one was painted before #adcc1 for could 
we possibly admit 7as ,padre ,bottonio  
wills it7 that it was done in #adcg1    
that is only a year before the          
celebrated painting for the church of   
,san ,marco8 ,and seeing that when the  
,dominicans again obtained possession of

 their own convent and returned to      
,fiesole neither ,fra ,angelico nor his 
brother ,fra ,benedetto were among them1
 we may reasonably suppose that         
,angelico was then at ,perugia1 painting
 the altar-piece for the ,guidalotti    
,chapel2 and that he only returned to   
,florence when he had finished that     
work1 which we may date later than the  
panel still to be admired at ,cortona4  
,these are the only works known to have 
been painted by him while he and his    
brethren had left their beloved ,fiesole
 hills to seek peace and tranquillity in
 ,umbria1--the only records of that     
period of voluntary exile4              
,illustration3 ,,virgin ,,of ,,the      
,,annunciation4 7,pinacoteca1 ,perugia47
     ,,ii4  ,,fra ,,angelico ,,at       
,,fiesole4  #adah-adcf4  ,illustration  
,whilst ,fra ,angelico was putting the  
legends of the ,virgin and ,st4 ,dominic
 into colour in ,umbria1 ,giovanni      
,dominici together with ,leonardo ,dati1
 master-general of the ,order1 was      

negotiating with the ,bishop of ,fiesole
 and ,pope ,gregory ,,xii4 to again     
obtain possession of the convent founded
 by ,dominici4 ,it was only in #adah    
that the ,fiesolan bishop acceded to    
their request1 on condition that the    
,dominicans would make him a present of 
some sacred vestments to the value of a 
hundred ducats4 ,this sum1 writes       
,marchese1 was taken from the legacy    
left to the convent by the father of    
,st4 ,antonino1 who died about that     
time4 ,a rich merchant having died in   
,florence in the same year1 leaving the 
monks of ,fiesole six thousand florins1 
it was besides decided to enlarge the   
building4 ,the legal act of free and    
absolute concession being signed1 the   
father-general at once sent for four of 
the monks from ,cortona1 among whom1 as 
we have said1 were neither ,fra         
,angelico nor ,fra ,benedetto4 ,this    
does not imply that all the others who  
had left in #adji1 might not have       
returned later1 and probably ,fra       

,angelico among them4#af  ,it was in    
this convent from which on the side     
towards the ridge of the ,fiesole hill1 
he looked on the olives spreading their 
silvery branches against the blue sky1  
that ,fra ,angelico1 absorbed in work   
and prayer1 passed the greater part of  
his life4 ,it is impossible to determine
 at which of the many works that now    
adorn the ,florentine and foreign       
galleries1 he worked during his stay in 
,fiesole1 where he remained till #adcf2 
certainly he painted the panel pictures 
for his church1 the ,tabernacle of the  
,linen ,weavers1 and frescoes in some   
parts of the convent4 ,that convent so  
dear to him must have awakened in his   
soul many bitter and sweet              
memories--whether he thought of the days
 when he and his brother ,benedetto     
first took their vows1 or of the        
successive vicissitudes when he and the 
brethren were forced to abandon it4     
,illustration3 ,,coronation ,,of ,,the  
,,virgin4 7,san ,marco1 ,florence47     

,vasari asserts that he painted an      
,easter candle in several small scenes1 
for ,giovanni ,masi1 a monk of the      
convent of ,santa ,maria ,novella2 and  
also some reliquaries which on solemn   
feast days were placed on the altar1 and
 are preserved to this day in the       
convent of ,san ,marco4 ,they represent 
the ,coronation of the ,virgin1 the     
,madonna della ,stella and the          
,adoration of the ,magi4 ,the           
,coronation has been too much damaged by
 useless retouching to be able fully to 
judge of its merits4 ,it is for this    
cause perhaps that some people have     
ventured to doubt its authenticity3 one 
perceives1 writes ,cartier1 his         
religious conception1 and desire to     
follow his model1 but the whole         
composition lacks order and space1 the  
figures are heavy1 attitudes            
embarrassed1 proportions short1 outlines
 coarse and the whole painting is       
strained4#ag  ,illustration3 ,,madonna  
,,della ,,stella 7,,of ,,the ,,star74   

7,san ,marco1 ,florence47  ,now this is 
not absolutely exact4 ,naturally if we  
compare this little reliquary with the  
great ,coronation at the ,louvre1 we    
find the composition more compressed1   
but it is not confused4 ,true1 the types
 of the ,virgin and ,redeemer have not  
that grand simplicity which with sincere
 enthusiasm we admire in his later      
panels of the same subject4 ,but        
possibly we have here the artist's first
 conception1 an idea which he           
successively developed and perfected    
till he reached the highest grade of    
beauty1 first in the picture at the     
,louvre1 then in the truly celestial one
 of the ,florentine ,gallery4  ,in the  
little painting of the ,madonna della   
,stella 7of the ,star7 we have qualities
 of grace and nobility all ,fra         
,angelico's own4 ,the six adoring angels
 on the slope of the frame1 and the two 
seated at the base playing musical      
instruments1 not only fully reveal his  
ability1 but might be classed with those

 of the ,linen ,weaver's ,tabernacle as 
among the most beautiful and ethereal he
 ever painted4  ,the third reliquary    
which is divided into two parts         
represents the ,adoration of the ,magi1 
below1 and the ,annunciation above4 ,the
 ,virgin has a book on her lap1 her arms
 crossed on the breast1 and head        
extended towards the celestial messenger
 who kneels before her2 but both        
figures1 though showing ,fra ,angelico's
 characteristic sentiment1 have         
exaggerated proportions2 the neck is    
inordinately long1 the colouring        
enamelled1 and so brilliant as to give  
the picture the character of a fine and 
elegantly illuminated missal4 ,in the   
,adoration the ,virgin displays the same
 defects of proportion1 but among the   
figures of the three ,kings and the     
personages accompanying them1 are some  
of exceptional elegance and exquisite   
beauty4 ,on the whole the scene may be  
classed among the finest and most       
graceful of the works which ,fra        

,angelico has left to us4               
,illustration3 ,,the ,,annunciation     
,,and ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the      
,,magi4 7,san ,marco1 ,florence47       
,there is a kind of reliquary in the    
,vatican ,gallery1 which represents the 
,virgin seated1 with the ,child on her  
left arm4 ,her raised right hand holds  
the rose1 and at her feet kneel ,st4    
,dominic and ,st4 ,catherine4           
,cavalcaselle supposes this to have been
 the fourth of the reliquaries once in  
,santa ,maria ,novella1 but it more     
probably belongs to that small painting 
reproduced by ,prof4 ,helbig1#ah in the 
,revue de l',art ,chrtien1 in which     
,angelico has represented the death and 
assumption of the ,virgin4  ,the under  
part of the picture1 representing the   
death of the ,virgin1 recalls1 in the   
general grouping of figures1 the same   
subject now in the ,uffizi ,gallery2 but
 in this one1 four ,apostles are        
depicted in the act of raising the bier1
 while the others surround the ,christ1 

who holds in ,his arms the soul of ,his 
,mother in the form of a babe4 ,in the  
upper part we see the ,virgin with      
upraised arms1 being received by the    
,saviour who extends ,his hands as if in
 welcome4 ,the type of the ,virgin      
recalls that of the small panel         
representing the ,adoration and         
,annunciation4 ,the ,christ is1 in the  
foreshortening and character of the     
face1 a repetition of that on the       
reliquary of the ,madonna della ,stella4
 ,the figure of the ,virgin is          
incorporeal and insignificant2 but the  
angels who in varied attitudes dance    
around the throne playing divers        
instruments1 are charming and graceful4 
,in the ancient refectory of the        
,fiesolan convent ,fra ,angelico painted
 a life-size ,christ ,crucified1 with   
,st4 ,dominic kneeling below clinging   
passionately to the ,cross4 ,at the     
sides stand the ,virgin and ,st4 ,john  
the ,evangelist2 there is also a figure 
of the saintly founder1 but it was      

either added later1 or else has been    
badly restored and cannot be taken as   
,fra ,angelico's work4 ,the picture has 
been removed from the wall1 and is now  
in the ,museum of the ,louvre2 it is    
damaged in several parts2 the delicacy  
of colouring is lost1 the background    
spoiled1 and only the figures of the    
,saviour1 the ,virgin1 and the head of  
,st4 ,john remain in tolerable          
condition4  ,the other fresco in the old
 chapter-house 7this also has been      
removed from the wall1 and is now in the
 ,hermitage at ,st4 ,petersburg71       
represents the ,virgin seated1 with the 
,child on her knee1 between ,st4        
,dominic and ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas2 all 
these figures show signs of incompetent 
restoration1 the outlines and drapery   
having been repainted4 ,less spoiled    
perhaps by retouching1 but yet in a     
deplorable condition1 is the other      
painting1 a ,crucifixion1 still existing
 in the ,sacristy of the ,convent4 ,the 
,redeemer with extended arms1 has ,his  

head drooping straight on the breast1   
and the legs are stiffened and curve to 
the right4 ,a crown of thorns encircles 
the head1 which is surrounded by a great
 aureole2 but the head is small2 and the
 face1 with its insignificant features1 
lacks the intense expression which ,fra 
,angelico usually succeeds in putting   
into similar subjects4  ,he also painted
 the altar-piece for the great altar in 
,san ,domenico at ,fiesole1 which1      
writes ,vasari1 perhaps because it      
appeared to be deteriorating1 has been  
retouched and injured by other masters4 
,but the predella and ciborium of the   
,sacrament are better preserved2 and you
 may see infinite little figures which  
are lovely in their celestial glory1 and
 appear indeed to come from ,paradise1  
nor can those who draw near ever look at
 them sufficiently4#ai  ,the picture is 
now removed into the choir4 ,in the     
centre the ,virgin with her ,son1 is    
seated on the throne2 six angels stand  
around her in act of adoration1 and two 

kneel in front with vases in their      
hands4 ,at the sides ,st4 ,thomas and   
,st4 ,peter are placed on the left2 ,st4
 ,dominic and ,st4 ,peter ,martyr on the
 right4 ,the retouching of which ,vasari
 speaks1 was done by ,lorenzo di ,credi 
in #aeja1 when the picture was reduced  
to its present form4 ,we learn this from
 a record in the ,,ms4 chronicle of the 
,convent of ,fiesole1 which is quoted by
 ,padre ,marchese in his ,memorie4#bj   
,but the panel has suffered other and   
worse things than this4 ,other figures  
taken from an older frame have been     
substituted for those in the pilasters4 
,some coarse copies have been put in the
 place of the three stories of the      
predella1 and the original one was sold1
 together with the ciborium4#ba  ,the   
predella1 now in the ,national ,gallery 
of ,london1 is divided into five        
compartments4 ,in the centre is ,christ 
robed in white1 ,his right hand raised  
in benediction1 and a standard held in  
,his left2 at the sides are a crowd of  

angels--some blowing trumpets1 others   
playing instruments1 others again in    
attitudes of profound veneration--all   
have robes of pure and brilliant hues   
with azure wings lightly sprinkled with 
gold4 ,the side scenes have multitudes  
of saints1 either standing or kneeling  
in adoration3 on the left are           
patriarchs1 bishops1 monks and martyrs1 
each with his own emblem2 on the right1 
a crowd of kneeling feminine saints     
among whom we can recognise ,st4 ,agnes1
 ,st4 ,catherine and ,st4 ,helen1 and   
behind them a line of male saints1      
amongst them ,st4 ,cyprian1 ,st4        
,clement1 ,st4 ,thomas1 ,st4 ,erasmus1  
and others whose names are written on   
their mitres4 ,still higher ,king       
,david1 ,st4 ,john ,baptist and the     
prophets ,jeremiah1 ,zaccariah and      
,habakkuk4 ,the faces are painted with  
great delicacy and accuracy1 and        
although they show some variety of      
lineament1 the expression is rather     
mannered4 ,the outlines of the feminine 

saints are full of grace and those of   
the other sex do not lack great dignity4
 ,although the work is of minor         
proportion1 it shows a noteworthy       
progress when compared with the         
conceptions of ,orcagna4  ,the greater  
part of the draperies are rendered with 
most refined colouring1 so delicately   
toned and judiciously contrasted1 that  
no part of the painting appears either  
crude1 or of exaggerated richness2 while
 the gold used in every part of the     
background contributes to give great    
harmony to the whole4 ,in the pictures  
placed at the end of the predella1 the  
,dominicans are depicted in their white 
robes and black mantles4  ,illustration3
 ,,predella4 7,national ,gallery1       
,london47  ,this delightful work1 which 
roused the admiration of ,vasari1       
contains not less than #bff figures and 
may justly be considered as one of the  
gems of the collection4 ,executed with  
all the delicacy of an illumination1 it 
sparkles with bright but harmonious     

colours1 while the spirit of devotion   
which penetrates the whole is entirely  
characteristic of the painter4#bb       
,angelico reached greater perfection in 
the picture of the ,annunciation of     
which ,vasari says3 ,in a chapel of the 
same church is a picture from the same  
hand1 representing ,our ,lady receiving 
the ,annunciation from the angel        
,gabriel1 with a countenance which is   
seen in profile1 so devout1 so delicate1
 and so perfectly executed1 that the    
beholder can scarcely believe it to be  
by the hand of man1 but would rather    
suppose it to have been delineated in   
,paradise4 ,in the landscape forming the
 background are seen ,adam and ,eve1    
whose fall made it needful that the     
,virgin should give birth to the        
,redeemer4#bc  ,this picture 7purchased 
in #afaa by ,duke ,mario ,farnese7 is   
now in the ,museum at ,madrid4 ,the     
,virgin is seated on the right under a  
graceful portico sustained by small     
columns4 ,her head inclines a little    

towards the ,angel1 in the same attitude
 as in the ,cortona altar-piece and the 
fresco at ,san ,marco4 ,she holds the   
book on her knees1 and crosses her hands
 on her breast2 while the golden winged 
,angel1 in its rose coloured robe1 with 
an arm curved in similar attitude of    
reverence1 sheds light around1 as in the
 painting at ,cortona4 ,high up in the  
left corner the hand of the ,eternal    
,father sends down a ray of light1 in   
the midst of which the ,holy ,spirit is 
symbolized4 ,in the background1 as in   
the ,cortona picture1 ,adam and ,eve are
 being expelled from ,paradise4  ,in the
 predella are some beautiful stories    
representing the ,marriage of the       
,virgin1 the ,salutation1 the ,adoration
 of the ,magi1 the ,circumcision of     
,christ and the ,death of the           
,virgin4#bd  ,but superior to all the   
other works of ,fra ,giovanni1 and one  
in which he surpassed himself1 is a     
picture in the same church 7i4 e4 ,san  
,domenico at ,fiesole71 near the door on

 the left hand of the entrance3 in this 
work1 he proves the high quality of his 
powers as well as the profound          
intelligence he possessed of the art    
which he practised4 ,the subject is the 
,coronation of the ,virgin by ,jesus    
,christ3 the principal figures are      
surrounded by a choir of angels1 among  
whom are vast numbers of saints and holy
 personages1 male and female4 ,these    
figures are so numerous1 so well        
executed1 in attitudes so varied1 and   
the expressions of the heads so richly  
diversified1 that one feels infinite    
pleasure and delight in regarding them4 
,nay1 one is convinced that those       
blessed spirits can look no otherwise in
 heaven itself1 or to speak under       
correction1 could not1 if they had      
forms1 appear otherwise2 for all the    
saints1 male and female1 assembled here1
 have not only life and expression1 most
 delicately and truly rendered1 but the 
colouring also of the whole work would  
seem to have been given by the hand of a

 saint1 or of an angel like themselves4 
,it is not without sufficient reason    
therefore1 that this excellent          
ecclesiastic is always called ,frate    
,giovanni ,angelico4 ,the stories from  
the life of ,our ,lady and of ,st4      
,dominic which adorn the predella1      
moreover1 are in the same divine style2 
and ,i1 for myself1 can affirm with     
truth1 that ,i never see this work but  
it appears something new1 nor can ,i    
ever satisfy myself with the sight of   
it1 or have enough of beholding it4#be  
,illustration3 ,,museum ,,of ,,the      
,,louvre--,,paris4 ,,the ,,coronation   
,,of ,,the ,,virgin4  ,the painting is  
now in the ,louvre at ,paris1 having    
been taken from ,fiesole during the     
,french invasion of #ahab4  ,under a    
rich canopy with inlaid columns and     
brocade hangings the ,redeemer seated on
 the throne1 places the crown on the    
head of his ,mother1 who kneels before  
him1 with hands crossed on her bosom4   
,around them angels are making the air  

resound with the voice of song1 and the 
music of many instruments4 ,saints1 male
 and female circle round1 some standing1
 others kneeling1 their fixed eyes and  
ecstatic features denoting their joy in 
such divine splendour4 ,among the saints
 are the great personages of the        
religious orders1 together with bishops 
and emperors4 ,on the right1 among the  
kneeling female saints are seen ,st4    
,agnes tenderly pressing the lamb to her
 breast1 ,st4 ,catherine holding her    
wheel of torture and a palm1 ,st4       
,ursula clasps the arrow which united   
her in death to her divine ,spouse1 ,st4
 ,cecilia's pretty head is garlanded    
with flowers1 while ,st4 ,mary          
,magdalene turns her back showing the   
rich locks of hair flowing over her     
shoulder as she holds the vase of       
ointment in her left hand4 ,on the      
opposite side are ,st4 ,dominic with the
 lily and open book1 ,st4 ,augustine1   
,st4 ,benedict1 ,st4 ,anthony and ,st4  
,francis4 ,on a higher level ,st4       

,louis1 with his crown of fiordalise1   
talks with ,st4 ,thomas2 while ,st4     
,nicholas supports himself with both    
hands on his pastoral staff4  ,it is a  
clever composition1 wonderfully         
balanced1 and the solemnity of style    
does not at all exclude exuberance of   
life or infinite variety of ideas4  ,the
 bodies are almost diaphanous1 the heads
 ethereal1 the atmosphere and light have
 a touch of the supernatural4 ,up to    
this point the subject is subdued1 but  
the colours lively and pure--among which
 blue and carmine predominate--gleam    
with particular splendour4#bf  ,the     
predella contains in some small         
compositions the chief episodes in the  
life of ,st4 ,dominic1 excepting the    
central compartment where ,christ is    
drawn1 issuing from the sepulchre       
between the ,virgin and ,st4 ,john4 ,the
 compositions are all executed with that
 love and delicacy which are the glory  
of the artist1 but even these little    
stories1 like the larger panel1 have    

been more or less injured by repeated   
restorations4  ,illustration3 ,,uffizi  
,,gallery--,,florence4 ,,the            
,,coronation ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4  ,a   
similar subject now in the ,uffizi      
,gallery at ,florence and which ,fra    
,angelico painted for the church of     
,santa ,maria ,novella1 is still more   
aerial and celestial1 a perfect         
masterpiece of sentiment and mystic     
expression4  ,here also ,fra ,angelico  
clings to that traditional              
characteristic1 peculiarly his own--the 
art of sacred vision1 but with what new 
life he animates it1 and what poetical  
witchery he throws into this creation of
 his ascetic fantasy6  ,his predecessors
 reproduced with slight varieties the   
model of ,giotto1 and the great         
,florentine painter himself has given us
 the scene in its most simple reality4  
,high in the central part of ,giotto's  
,coronation ,christ places the crown on 
the ,virgin1 who with hands crossed1    
bows her head to receive the homage of  

her ,son4 ,but on her face there is no  
expression of ecstatic joy1 modest1     
indeed humble in the midst of glory1 she
 droops her eyes1 almost as if she dared
 not rest them on the ,saviour4 ,angels 
and saints1 symmetrically disposed at   
the sides1 fill the whole background of 
the picture1 with heads either raised in
 admiration or bowed in respect1 but in 
attitudes so similar1 that they give a  
sense of monotony4 ,then come the       
saints1 some kneeling at the foot of the
 throne1 and others in the side wings of
 the triptych1 reverently bowing to the 
,mother of ,god4  ,fra ,angelico repeats
 the principal motive1 but develops it  
according to his high ideal1 his intense
 faith1 and mystic sentiment4 ,he gives 
to the ,virgin an expression of infinite
 sweetness2 to the angels a truly       
celestial charm1 to the saints a serene 
expression of beatitude1 and to the     
whole scene the azure divine character  
of a vision of ,paradise4  ,high in the 
centre the ,redeemer extends his right  

hand to add a brilliant gem to the crown
 of the ,virgin1 who sits near him1 with
 hands crossed in loving reverence4 ,a  
luminous golden ray from this group     
engraved on the panel1 forms gleaming   
and resplendent waves in the background 
of the picture1 from which groups of    
angels stand out1 playing all sorts of  
music1 or dancing with hand clasped in  
hand4 ,two are prostrated in profound   
admiration at the base1 and shed clouds 
of incense from their thuribles1 while  
two others draw melody from heavenly    
harps4  ,in the lower part of the       
picture are many saints1 who by their   
charmed faces and feeling of ineffable  
joy1 show how delighted they are with   
the vision and the heavenly music4      
,illustration3 ,,ancient ,,and ,,modern 
,,gallery--,,florence4 ,,the ,,last     
,,judgement4  ,the greatest eloquence1  
writes ,marchese1 would fail to express 
the impression which this painting      
produces4 ,the heart has a language     
which does not always speak in words1   

and we can never contemplate this       
picture without feeling in love with    
heaven4#bg  ,among the works which were 
undoubtedly done by ,fra ,angelico      
during his stay at ,fiesole1 may be     
ascribed several different              
representations of the ,last ,judgment4 
,he derived the inspiration of the      
subject directly from ,orcagna's fresco 
in ,santa ,maria ,novella1 only ,fra    
,angelico has created a paradise too    
exclusively modelled on the monastic    
life4 ,his ideal1 writes ,reymond1 is a 
young neophyte entirely absorbed in     
prayer--a contemplative being who has   
renounced earthly life1 abdicating his  
qualities as a man to dream of nothing  
but the future life4 ,orcagna1 on the   
contrary1 dreams of an ideal in which   
human life triumphs in all its fulness1 
and one might say that the beings which 
people his ,paradise are but glorified  
bodies4#bh  ,fra ,giovanni painted ,hell
 and ,paradise with small figures for   
the ,camaldolese monks of ,santa ,maria 

degli ,angeli4 ,this is the picture now 
in the ,ancient and ,modern ,gallery at 
,florence1 of which ,vasari writes1 he  
proved the rectitude of his judgment in 
this work1 having made the countenances 
of the blessed beautiful and full of a  
celestial gladness2 but the condemned1  
those destined to the pains of hell1 he 
has depicted in various attitudes of    
sorrow1 and bearing the impress and     
consciousness of their misdeeds and     
wretchedness on their faces3 the blessed
 are seen to enter the gate of paradise 
in triumphal dance1 the condemned are   
dragged away to eternal punishment in   
hell by the hands of demons4#bi  ,the   
representation is faithful to artistic  
tradition4 ,in the highest part the     
,saviour calls the elect to ,him with   
,his right hand1 while with ,his left   
,he motions away the reprobate3 around  
,him are eight winged cherubim1 with    
whom kneeling angels below join to form 
a circle4 ,some are adoring or praying1 
others hold scrolls in their hands4 ,on 

the right sits the ,virgin in white     
robes1 with hands crossed on her breast 
and head gently bent3 on the left ,st4  
,john ,baptist with hands clasped in    
prayer4 ,at the sides ,patriarchs1      
,apostles and ,prophets1 and at the     
extremities ,st4 ,dominic and ,st4      
,francis4 ,an angel holds the cross at  
the feet of ,christ1 and two others     
flying1 blow their trumpets towards the 
dead1 who rise from the open sepulchres 
below4  ,in the base at the left1 demons
 drag the damned ones to ,hell2 on the  
right the elect cast glances of love and
 faith on the ,saviour1 and in joyous   
fraternity enjoy the heavenly guerdon4  
,the ,elysian ,fields of the blessed are
 truly celestial1 gleaming with gold1   
irrigated by limpid streams1 glorious   
with beautiful flowerets that bloom amid
 the verdure1 the exuberance of nature  
harmonizing marvelously with the joy of 
the elect4      ,and in that midst their
 sportive pennons waved   ,thousands of 
angels1 in resplendence each   ,distinct

 and quaint adornment4 ,at their glee   
,and carol smiled the ,lovely ,one of   
heaven   ,that joy was in the eyes of   
all the blest4#cj  ,not unworthy of the 
divine poet is ,angelico's heavenly     
composition in which as in the          
,dantesque ,paradise is shed      ,light
 intellectual replete with love1   ,love
 of true happiness1 replete with joy1   
,joy1 that transcends all sweetness of  
delight4#ca  ,together with these verses
 of ,dante1 ,fra ,angelico1 while       
endeavouring to depict the dance of the 
blessed1 may well have called to mind   
these verses of a sacred laud1 which is 
said to be by ,iacopone da ,todi and    
7whether his or not7 describes in       
popular language the celestial carla#cb 
of the saints3      ,una rota si fa in  
cielo   ,de tutti i ,santi in quel      
zardino1   ,l ove sta l'amor divino     
,che s'infiamma de l'amore4      ,in    
quella rota vano i ,santi   ,et li      
,angioli tutti quanti2   ,a quello      
,sposo van davanti3   ,tutti danzan per 

amore4      ,in quella corte  un'       
alegreza   ,d' un amor dismisuranza3    
,tutti vanno ad una danza   ,per amor   
del ,salvatore4      ,son vestiti di    
vergato1   ,bianco1 rosso e frammezzato2
   ,le ghirlande in mezo el capo3   ,ben
 mi pareno amatori4      ,tutti quanti  
con ghirlandi1   ,paren giovin' de      
trent' anni3   ,quella corte se         
rinfranchi1   ,ogni cosa  piena d'amore4
      ,le ghirlande son fiorite1   ,pi  
che l'oro son chiarite3   ,ornate son di
 margarite1   ,divisate di colore1      
ecc4#cc  ,above from the heavenly       
,jerusalem stream rays of golden light1 
and two angels who are passing into the 
portal1 are aerial and luminous1 as     
bright and splendid spirits4            
,illustration3 ,the dance of the        
blessed4 7,details from the ,last       
,judgment7  ,less original is the       
representation of ,hell1 which is copied
 straight from the fresco in the ,pisan 
,camposanto4 ,not only the same division
 of bolge 7hell-pits71 but even the     

repetition of motives in the souls that 
fill them2 the only and notable         
difference is the figure of ,lucifer    
which instead of being in the centre    
occupies the base of the picture4 ,at   
the summit ,eriton cruda1 che richiamava
 l'ombre a' corpi sui1 is precisely in  
the same attitude as in the ,pisan      
,camposanto1 a figure holding a banner  
coiled around by a serpent1 and near it 
is a simoniac with his entrails torn    
out1 the identical figure from the      
,pisan ,hell4 ,the back view of the     
figure which a demon raises to throw    
into the jaws of a terrible monster is  
also copied entire from the same fresco4
  ,the bolge and the damned souls which 
occupy them1 are1 as we have said1      
repetitions1 but with less intelligence 
and character than the ,pisan fresco4   
,on the left the slothful and lazy are  
punished2 beneath them in two bolge are 
the passionate and the gluttonous souls1
 and below again the luxurious and      
avaricious ones4 ,the poverty of        

conception in this ,inferno is not even 
compensated by the usual good qualities 
of refinement2 one could almost believe 
that the artist found it so repugnant to
 his character to depict brutality and  
infernal tortures1 that he hurried over 
this part to get rid of it the sooner4  
,the representation of the damned is    
cold1 their struggles with the demons1  
which at ,pisa and in other places is so
 full of energy1 is given here with     
exaggerated art and becomes ineffectual2
 in fact this part of the picture is    
void of feeling1 and confirms our       
previous remarks on the artistic        
character of the painter4  ,another     
,last ,judgment is in the ,corsini      
,gallery at ,rome2--a triptych1 the side
 panels of which represent the          
,ascension and the ,descent of the ,holy
 ,ghost4  ,this scene is1 however1 much 
more simply designed1 but cannot be     
fairly judged now1 on account of the    
retouching and frequent varnishing which
 disfigure it4  ,illustration3 ,,the    

,,last ,,judgment4 7,rome1 ,national    
,gallery47  ,the ,saviour seated on the 
clouds1 rests his left hand on a book   
which he holds upright on his knees1    
while the right is raised in malediction
 against the sinners1 with an action    
which recalls the ,christ in the        
,judgment of the ,camposanto at ,pisa4  
,on the sides are groups of angels1     
apostles and saints2 and the elect are  
on the right1 the wicked on the left    
below them4 ,in the picture of the      
,corsini ,gallery1 writes ,venturi1 the 
representation was cramped by the narrow
 limits of the central panel of the     
triptych4 ,it is evidently a reduced    
form of preceding compositions1 for     
several angels which terminate the      
picture above1 are here seen only from  
the waist downwards4 ,the figures of the
 elect1 loving1 ecstatic and beautiful1 
clad in flame-coloured robes1 with stars
 and flowers1 as in similar compositions
 by ,fra ,angelico1 are absolutely      
sublime1 while those of the wicked are  

almost childish1 especially the demons  
with faces of cats and jackals1 with red
 eyes and mouths1 black bodies and      
clawed feet4 ,how much happier he is in 
the clear and joyful note of colour in  
some figures standing before a door on  
the right6 ,and how much better we      
recognise his sweet spirit in the       
features of the blest1 with their clear 
eyes whose pupils are fixed trance-like 
under lightly drawn eyebrows4#cd        
,illustration3 ,,the ,,last ,,judgment4 
7,berlin ,museum47  ,another panel with 
a subject analogous to these is in the  
,berlin ,museum1 and is considered      
superior to that in the ,florentine     
,gallery4#ce ,although the figure of the
 ,saviour may be slightly wanting in    
character1 the celestial phalanx is full
 of grace1 especially the blessed ones  
who cross a flower-strewn field to be   
led by angels up to paradise2 they hold 
each others hands1 and dance and sing   
delightfully and with graceful action   
and attitudes raise their heads to join 

in the glory of ,colui che tutto move e 
risplende    ,nel ciel che pi della sua 
luce prende4  ,illustration3 ,,the      
,,virgin ,,of ,,the ,,linen ,,weavers'  
,,guild4 7,uffizi ,gallery1 ,florence47 
,illustration  ,another last ,judgment  
forms one of the thirty-five small      
pictures which adorned the doors of the 
presses for the silver vessels etc41 in 
the chapel of the ,,ss4 ,annunziata4 ,it
 is generally believed that he painted  
this during his stay at ,fiesole2 but as
 we find it dates posterior to this1 we 
shall speak of it later1 and must first 
record that in #adcb ,fra ,angelico     
painted an ,annunciation for the church 
of ,sant' ,alessandro at ,brescia1 said 
to be the one on an altar to the right  
on entering the church4 ,so greatly is  
it transformed by restorations1 that no 
one in looking at it now would dream    
that it was by our artist1 if indeed it 
ever were his work4 ,it would appear    
that the restorer had used other models 
in repainting the ,angel and the        

,virgin4#cf  ,illustration  ,on ,july   
#aath #adcc the contract was signed     
between the ,consuls of the ,arte dei   
,linaioli 7,guild of ,linen ,weavers7   
and our artist1 for the tabernacle of   
which they had asked ,lorenzo ,ghiberti 
to give a design4 ,the contract says3   
,we engage ,fra ,guido1 called ,fra     
,giovanni of the ,order of ,st4 ,dominic
 of ,fiesole1 to paint for the said     
,guild1 a tabernacle of ,our ,lady2 to  
be painted within and without with      
colours1 gold1 azure and silver1 all of 
the very finest that can be found1 with 
all his art and diligence1 and for all  
this and his fatigue and work1 he shall 
receive one hundred and ninety gold     
florins1 or any less sum as shall appear
 to his conscience1 and in consideration
 of the figures that are in the design4 
,illustration3 ,,st ,,mark4 ,,st4 ,,john
 ,,baptist4  ,this painting is now to be
 admired in the ,uffizi ,gallery where  
it was placed in #aggg2 it is too       
universally known to need a minute      

description4 ,the ,virgin enthroned with
 the ,holy ,child is surrounded by      
twelve angels1 the most lovely1 graceful
 and celestial that ,fra ,angelico ever 
painted4 ,in the interior of the side   
panels are ,st4 ,john and ,st4 ,mark1 in
 the exterior ,st4 ,peter and ,st4      
,mark4 ,the latter1 as is well known1   
was the protector of the ,linen ,guild3 
therefore1 says ,padre ,marchese1 they  
wished that whether the tabernacle were 
open or closed1 he should be always in  
their sight4  ,in this work ,fra        
,angelico shows that his style was      
derived from ,giotto and ,orcagna1      
though his figures with their large     
heads1 are treated like miniatures and  
become insignificant2 the result is cold
 and void1 precisely by reason of this  
over conscientious execution4  ,the face
 of the ,virgin lacks expression and    
sentiment1 while the angels depicted on 
the slope of the frame in act of        
sounding trumpets1 psalters1 cymbals    
etc41 have such a sweetness of sentiment

 that they seem literally rained down   
from heaven4  ,illustration     ,,iii4  
,,fra ,,angelico ,,at ,,florence4       
#adcf-adde4  ,illustration  ,,san       
,,marco4  ,illustration   ,the church of
 ,san ,giorgio--writes ,vasari--had at  
this time been given to the monks of    
,san ,domenico da ,fiesole1 but they did
 not occupy it longer than from about   
the middle of ,july to the end of       
,january1 because ,cosimo de' ,medici   
and ,lorenzo his brother had obtained   
for them1 from ,pope ,eugenius1 the     
church and convent of ,san ,marco1 which
 had previously been occupied by        
,salvestrine monks1 to whom ,san        
,giorgio was given in exchange4         
,moreover1 they 7,cosimo and ,lorenzo   
de' ,medici71 being much devoted to     
religion1 and zealous for the divine    
service and worship1 gave orders that   
the above-named convent of ,san ,marco  
should be entirely rebuilt according to 
the design and model of ,michelozzo1    
commanding that it should be constructed

 on the most extensive and magnificent  
scale1 with all the conveniences that   
those monks could possibly desire4#cg   
,and in the year #adcf1 the said monks  
made their entry with pomp and solemn   
ftes1 in which the three bishops of     
,taranto1 ,treves and ,parentino1 took  
part1 preceded by the mace-bearers of   
the ,signoria who were sent to give     
greater magnificence to the scene4 ,fra 
,cipriano1 ,vicar general of the new    
congregation of the ,osservanza1 took   
possession of the convent in the name of
 that ,order4#ch  ,the first part       
completed1 continues the ,aretian       
biographer1 was that above the old      
refectory and opposite to the ducal     
stables1 which had formerly been erected
 by the ,duke ,lorenzo de' ,medici4 ,in 
this place twenty cells were made1 the  
roof was put on1 and the various        
articles of wood-work brought into the  
refectory1 which was finished as we see 
it in our day4#ci  ,the library was     
afterwards erected1 it was vaulted above

 and below1 and had sixty-four bookcases
 of cypress wood filled with the most   
valuable books4 ,the dormitory which was
 in the form of a square1 was next      
built1 and finally the cloister was     
completed1 with all the other truly     
commodious apartments of that convent1  
which is believed to be the most        
perfectly arranged1 the most beautiful  
and most convenient building of its kind
 that can be found in ,italy1 thanks to 
the skill and industry of ,michelozzo1  
who gave it up to its occupants entirely
 finished in the year #adeb4dj ,cosimo  
de' ,medici is said to have expended    
#cf1jjj ducats on this fabric2 it is    
added that while it was in course of    
construction1 he gave the monks #cff    
ducats every year for their support4#da 
,in #adci1 two years after the building 
was begun1 the principal chapel was     
finished1 and the work of restoring and 
embellishing the church was commenced4  
,this was completed in #adda4  ,while   
the architect was engaged in restoring  

the church of ,san ,marco1 ,fra         
,giovanni was probably commissioned to  
paint the altar-piece for the great     
altar4 ,vasari writes of it3 ,but       
exquisite and admirable above all is the
 picture of the ,high ,altar in that    
church2 for besides that the ,madonna in
 this painting awakens devotional       
feeling in all who regard her1 by the   
pure simplicity of her expression2 and  
that the saints surrounding her have a  
similar character2 the predella1 in     
which are stories of the martyrdom of   
,st4 ,cosmo1 ,st4 ,damian1 and others1  
is so perfectly finished1 that one      
cannot imagine it possible for any thing
 to be executed with greater care1 nor  
can figures more delicate1 or more      
judiciously arranged1 be conceived4#db  
,unfortunately the picture1 now in the  
,academy of the ,belle ,arti1 is in such
 bad condition that we are not able to  
confirm ,vasari's judgment1 for the     
tints have faded1 in some parts leaving 
the undercolouring exposed1 in others it

 is corroded even down to the white of  
the plaster ground work4  ,the ,virgin  
is enthroned1 holding on her lap the    
child1 whose right hand is uplifted to  
bless1 while the left holds a globe4    
,beside the throne are groups of angels1
 in front on the right ,st4 ,dominic1   
,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,peter ,martyr2  
on the left ,st4 ,laurence1 ,st4 ,paul  
and ,st4 ,mark2 above them kneel ,sts4  
,cosmo and ,damian1 protectors of the   
,medici family1 placed here in homage to
 the liberality of the ,medici towards  
the ,order4  ,illustration3 ,,madonna   
,,and ,,child ,,with ,,angels ,,and     
,,saints4 7,ancient and ,modern         
,gallery1 ,florence47  ,in the predella1
 now divided1 were represented various  
stories relative to the lives of ,sts4  
,cosmo and ,damian1 which may be        
recognised in two little pictures 7,nos4
 #beg-beh1 ,catalogue of #ahic7 at the  
,belle ,arti1 and in those now at the   
,gallery at ,munich 7,nos4 #ihi1 #iij1  
#iia74  ,in the first of the two at     

,florence1 the saints have cut off the  
leg of a sick man1 and placed that of a 
negro in its stead4 ,in the second is   
represented their burial together with  
the brethren4 ,in those at ,munich the  
scenes are3--the saints constrained by  
the judge ,lisia to sacrifice to idols2 
the saints thrown into the sea and saved
 by angels1 while the judge is liberated
 from two demons by their prayers2 and  
lastly their crucifixion1 while stones  
and arrows are aimed against them1 but  
rebound on the executioners4#dc  ,other 
similar subjects are represented in six 
stories divided into two panels 7,no4   
#bcd1 ,catalogue of #ahic7 in the ,belle
 ,arti4 ,in the first the saints are    
seen exercising the healing art without 
receiving payment2 they cure ,palladia1 
who in her gratitude prays ,st4 ,damian 
in the name of ,god to accept a gift1   
her brother being wrathful not knowing  
the cause4 ,in the second the judge     
,lisia obliges the saints and their     
three brethren to sacrifice to idols2 in

 the third the angels save them from    
drowning2 in the fourth they are        
condemned to be burnt alive1 and sing   
psalms in the midst of the flames2 in   
the fifth is the stoning2 and lastly the
 decapitation4  ,these works1 however1  
do not always show equal execution1     
therefore we might judge that the artist
 sometimes availed himself of the hand  
of an assistant4  ,from the records     
remaining to us1 it does not appear that
 ,fra ,giovanni worked at any other     
pictures for his church1 so it is       
probable he gave all his attention to   
adorning the convent1 which on account  
of the works he has left there1 may     
fairly be considered one of the finest  
monuments of ,italian art4  ,it was not 
the first time that ,fra ,angelico had  
painted large mural frescoes4 ,as he had
 already shown at ,fiesole his mastery  
in that more minute style1 which was to 
find more complete expression in the    
,roman pictures1 so the convent of ,san 
,marco gave him scope to prove his      

genius also in this freer branch of art4
 ,in the cloisters1 the corridors1 the  
cells1 and the rooms in which the monks 
met together1 we find specimens of his  
artistic work1 and in these various     
pictures all his favourite personages   
reappear one by one in larger           
proportions1 but without losing that    
original grace and sentiment with which 
his smaller works are imbued4 ,indeed   
these show that he had studied from the 
life with independence and sincerity of 
purpose1 and could render it with       
greater facility and decision4  ,a very 
noteworthy change in the character of   
,fra ,angelico's art may be observed in 
these mural paintings4 ,he must have    
perceived1 after painting the tabernacle
 for the ,linen ,weavers' ,guild1 that a
 deeper study of the real was necessary 
to give life to his figures1 especially 
when these should assume larger         
proportions4  ,to give intelligent      
expression even to dreams1 visions and  
ideality of thought1 a material and     

technical part is necessary2 the mind   
may wander free in fantasy1 through     
indefinite space1 but it needs a firm   
hand to render the conception evident2  
and the clearer the expression is1 the  
greater ability in the creation of his  
works does it show in the artist4 ,thus 
,fra ,angelico1 placing his figures in  
ideal surroundings1 believed at first   
that refined thought was sufficient to  
make a perfect picture1 and he          
illuminated his little figures with     
superficial delicacy1 surrounding them  
with azure and gold1 and so idealized   
them that they are more like diaphanous 
apparitions than human beings4          
,illustration3 ,,christ ,,on ,,the      
,,cross4  ,but he soon learned that by  
merely enlarging these little pictures1 
he could not succeed in giving them even
 that individuality to which he was led 
by natural taste and mode of life4 ,in  
fact1 what a difference lies between the
 figures of the ,linen ,weavers'        
,tabernacle painted in #adcc1 and those 

of the picture in the church of ,san    
,marco done in #adch6 ,the first3 void1 
weak and without expression2 the second3
 full of life and character2 and note   
that this difference strikes the eye    
even now1 notwithstanding the difficulty
 of comparison owing to the wretched    
condition to which the panel at ,san    
,marco is reduced4  ,in this cloister1  
therefore1 where the pictures assume    
larger proportions and more importance1 
and the figures greater character and   
individuality of form1 more solidity of 
artistic execution1--it is here we      
perceive that far as he still was from  
the world and worldly things1 yet with  
earnest study and thought he had not    
failed to avail himself of the          
progressive development of art around   
him to improve his style and give more  
grandeur to his design4  ,we do not know
 whether the cause which influenced his 
mind was1 that in coming down to        
,florence from the ,fiesole cloister he 
was brought into more immediate contact 

with other styles of art1 and artists   
who followed a different1 even opposite 
method4 ,the distance of his convent    
from the city was not1 however1 so great
 as to have prevented his visiting the  
immortal works which enriched ,florence1
 or to diminish the relations of        
friendship or acquaintance which he     
surely had formed with his greater      
colleagues4 ,in fact1 ,fra ,angelico and
 ,ghiberti must have already consulted  
together about the ,tabernacle of the   
,linen ,guild2 and the works which the  
pious monk sent from ,fiesole to the    
churches and convents of ,florence could
 not have been unknown there1 any more  
than the works of the other artists in  
the city were to him4  ,certain changes 
independent of external causes sometimes
 take place naturally1 we might say     
spontaneously1 in strong artistic       
temperaments4 ,fra ,angelico felt and   
understood as he continued his work1    
that something was wanting in him before
 he could succeed in giving reality to  

his thoughts and sentiment2 he          
necessarily perfected his studies1 and  
investigated truth more                 
conscientiously--the result was the new 
style1 a natural consequence of artistic
 individual progress4  ,illustration3   
,,st4 ,,peter ,,martyr4  ,opposite the  
entrance in the pretty cloister of the  
,florentine convent we may admire the   
figure of the crucified ,christ who     
turns ,his eyes to ,st4 ,dominic        
kneeling below1 and embracing the cross 
with both hands1 while raising his head 
to meet the glance of the ,saviour4 ,in 
the five lunettes of the doors in the   
cloister1 ,fra ,angelico has represented
 ,st4 ,peter ,martyr1 ,st4 ,dominic1    
,christ issuing from the sepulchre1     
,christ in the dress of a pilgrim1 and  
,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas4 ,the figure of   
the crucified ,saviour is nobly         
beautiful in its simple and intelligent 
outline1 firm design and life-like      
colouring4 ,that of ,st4 ,peter ,martyr 
is full of character2 it is a half      

figure holding with his left hand the   
palm of martyrdom and a book which he   
rests on his side2 the first finger of  
the right hand is placed on his mouth1  
indicating the silence of the cloister4 
,st4 ,dominic has the book of his rules 
in one hand and the discipline1 or rope 
for scourging in the other1 as though to
 demonstrate that both moral and        
material influence should govern a      
religious community4 ,the ,christ of the
 resurrection shows ,his wounds1 and    
,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas holds his book of 
theology in both hands4  ,illustration3 
,,christ ,,issuing ,,from ,,the         
,,sepulchre4  ,in the arch of the       
hospice the painter has represented two 
,dominicans welcoming ,christ1 to remind
 the brethren that to offer hospitality 
to the poor and the pilgrims1 was the   
same as receiving ,christ4  ,the        
,redeemer with his hat hanging behind   
,his shoulders leans on ,his pilgrim's  
staff2 one of the brethren presses ,his 
left hand1 and taking ,him by the right 

arm invites ,him to rest4 ,the heads of 
the two devotees are full of character  
and expression1 and on their faces beam 
the joy and love they feel for their    
unexpected guest4 ,the second monk who  
clasps the ,saviour's arm with both     
hands as though he can scarcely believe 
his own eyes1 is drawn with such natural
 feeling that nothing greater can be    
desired or attained4  ,equally beautiful
 is the pilgrim ,christ with ,his long  
beard and curls flowing on ,his         
shoulders2 the whole scene in fact is   
given with great nobility and exquisite 
grace4  ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,in    
,,pilgrim',s ,,dress4  ,in the          
chapter-house of the convent ,fra       
,angelico repeated the scene of the     
,crucifixion4 ,vasari writes of it thus3
 ,fra ,giovanni was so greatly beloved  
for his admirable qualities by ,cosimo  
de' ,medici1 that the latter had no     
sooner completed the church and convent 
of ,san ,marco1 than he caused the good 
father to paint the whole story of the  

,crucifixion of ,jesus ,christ on one of
 the walls of the chapter-house4 ,in    
this work figures of all those saints   
who have been heads and founders of     
religious bodies1 are mourning and      
bewailing at the foot of the cross on   
one side2 and on the other1 ,st4 ,mark  
the ,evangelist beside the ,mother of   
the ,son of ,god1 who has fainted at    
sight of the crucified ,saviour4 ,around
 the ,virgin are the ,maries1 who are   
sorrowing with and supporting her2 they 
are accompanied by the saints ,cosimo   
and ,damian4  ,beneath this work1 in a  
frieze above the dado the master        
executed a figure of ,st4 ,dominic      
standing at the foot of a tree2 on the  
branches of which are medallions1       
wherein are all the popes1 cardinals1   
bishops1 saints1 and masters in theology
 who had belonged to ,fra ,giovanni's   
,order of the ,preaching ,friars1 down  
to his own day4#dd  ,in this masterly   
work ,fra ,angelico pours out with full 
hands the most vivid and intense        

feelings of his soul1 and if he does not
 attain to grand dramatic power1 he at  
least succeeds in depicting with rare   
ingenuity the varied expressions of     
sorrow1 despair1 hope and faith which   
animate each person1 and in giving      
natural and life-like character and     
attitude to the various heads4  ,the    
group of the fainting ,virgin may       
possibly seem conventional1 but what    
sweet piety is in the feeling of the    
other figures6 ,st4 ,dominic1 devoutly  
kneeling1 inclines his head 7cleverly   
foreshortened and marvellously          
expressed7 and extends his arms to the  
,redeemer2 ,st4 ,zenobi 7or ,st4        
,ambrose the archbishop7 standing       
upright1 points with his right to the   
,saviour2 ,st4 ,jerome1 in hermit's     
dress1 bends forward and clasps his     
hands in prayer2 ,st4 ,augustine holds  
his pen in one hand1 his book and       
pastoral staff in the other2 ,st4       
,francis brings his hand to his brow in 
an attitude of melancholy indefinable   

sadness4 ,the ,saints ,benedict1        
,bernard and ,romuald follow1 then ,st4 
,thomas ,aquinas with a most beautiful  
head full of life and character 7it must
 certainly be a portrait1 so life-like  
is the expression71 next ,st4 ,peter    
,martyr with his hands on his breast2   
and lastly in the foreground an unknown 
monk 7,padre ,marchese thinks it is ,st4
 ,john ,gualbert7 who weeps1 with his   
left hand over his eyes4#de             
,illustration3 ,,san ,,marco--,,florence
 ,,the ,,crucifixion4  ,on the left of  
the fresco1 near the swooning ,virgin1  
stands ,st4 ,john ,baptist pointing to  
the ,saviour2 ,st4 ,mark kneeling shows 
his gospel2 ,st4 ,laurence clasps his   
hands on his breast2 and ,st4 ,cosmo    
wrings his hands as he contemplates the 
,cross2 while ,st4 ,damian turns1       
covering his eyes1 and weeping the      
mournful loss of the ,lord4  ,in the    
ornamentation of the simulated frame    
which surrounds the fresco1 are         
hexagonal spaces containing half figures

 of prophets with labels1 containing    
texts referring to the passion of       
,christ2 and below them on the right1   
the ,erythrean ,sibyl4 ,in the lower    
part of the frieze1 are ten rounds1     
containing portraits of the most        
illustrious members of the ,dominican   
,order4 ,in the centre ,st4 ,dominic1 on
 the left ,pope ,innocent ,v41 ,cardinal
 ,ugone1 ,father ,paulo the ,florentine1
 the ,archbishop ,st4 ,antonino 7this   
must surely have been added later71 the 
blessed ones ,giordano of ,saxony1      
,niccol1 ,remigius the ,florentine and  
,buoninsegna the martyr4 ,on the right  
are the blessed brethren ,john          
,dominici1 ,peter of the ,marshes1      
,albertus ,magnus1 ,st4 ,raymond1       
,chiaro of ,sesto1 ,st4 ,vincent        
,ferreri and ,bernard the martyr4       
,retouches and restorations are not     
wanting in this picture1 the drapery has
 been repainted in several parts and the
 background has been smudged with that  
reddish colour1 which1 in altering the  

tone of the whole fresco1 has injured   
the limpidity of colour and original    
refinement of harmony4  ,the chronicles 
of the convent of ,san ,marco record    
another ,crucifixion by ,fra ,angelico  
in the refectory of the monks1 probably1
 writes ,padre ,marchese1 a replica of  
that which he had already painted in the
 ,fiesolan convent4 ,this now no longer 
exists1 it appears to have been         
destroyed to make space for ,sogliani's 
great fresco of ,st4 ,dominic at table  
with his brethren1 when they were       
supplied with bread by angels4 ,but in  
the cells and dormitories of the        
,florentine convent ,fra ,angelico      
scattered lovely proofs of his genius   
and sentiment1 pouring out on them with 
rare talent the most exquisite grace of 
his brush1 and tenderest thoughts of his
 soul4 ,from the ,annunciation to the   
various scenes from the life of ,christ2
 from the ,virgin among the saints1 in  
the corridor1 to the decoration of the  
room which ,cosimo had built for himself

 in his favourite convent1 all breathe  
such sweet poesy in the grace and       
simplicity of the varied scenes1 that   
one cannot look at them unmoved4        
,facing the entrance of the upper       
corridor of the cloister he painted the 
,angel bringing the glad tidings to the 
,virgin4 ,we have already noted in      
regard to this subject as created by him
 at ,cortona1 how the representation    
finds its greater development here1     
where the artist succeeds better in     
rendering the feeling of veneration on  
the part of the heavenly messenger1 and 
the submissive humility of the ,virgin4 
,the same subject is repeated in a cell 
7,no4 #c71 but in this design1 which    
breathes the same sentiment of sweetness
 and piety1 ,st4 ,dominic in reverent   
attitude is looking on4  ,illustration3 
,,the ,,annunciation4  ,on the wall at  
the left of the entrance is a           
,crucifixion1 with ,st4 ,dominic on his 
knees1 embracing the cross1 the figures 
are about half life size1 the design    

similar to that which we have already   
seen in the cloister1 but showing less  
ability4 ,nor are these the only        
,crucifixions which our artist painted4 
,he has reproduced the subject in       
several cells1 always varying either the
 attitude of the ,saviour1 or the       
persons who adore ,him1 but the serene  
attitude of the ,son of ,god is         
unalterable4 ,without exaggerated       
contractions or violent action ,he      
remains fixed on the cross1 ,his head   
bowed in mute contemplation of the      
figures below ,him4 ,these1 on the      
contrary1 are the prey of sorrow and    
despair1 they cover their faces1 or weep
 distractedly at ,his feet4             
,illustration3 ,,noli ,,me ,,tangere4   
,some of these frescoes of the          
,crucifixion with ,st4 ,dominic kneeling
 below1 may be classed as decidedly by  
other hands1 the execution being weak1  
the drawing incorrect1 and the sentiment
 inefficiently expressed4 ,these        
variants are doubtless attributable to  

the assistants he employed in their     
execution4  ,in the fresco representing 
the ,noli me tangere ,angelico gives us 
a work full of freshness and life1      
idealized in ,giottesque style4 ,the    
figure of ,christ is majestic1 as with a
 sign ,he withdraws ,himself from the   
kneeling ,magdalene1 who supplicatingly 
extends her arms towards ,him4          
,illustration3 ,,the ,,transfiguration4 
,most lovely are the composition and    
feeling of the figures in the ,nativity1
 where the ,virgin and ,st4 ,joseph with
 joined hands kneel in adoration of the 
,babe stretched on a heap of straw on   
the ground4 ,a little above1 on the     
right stands ,st4 ,dominic1 and behind  
the ,virgin on the left a female saint  
kneels1 her hands clasped in prayer4 ,in
 the background beneath a humble shed   
are the bull and the ass1 and four      
adoring angels above4  ,illustration3   
,,the ,,risen ,,christ4  ,in the        
,transfiguration on ,mount ,tabor the   
figure of the ascending ,christ with    

outstretched arms and noble features is 
one of ,fra ,angelico's best works1 but 
the attitudes of the ,apostles are      
conventional2 the kneeling figure on the
 left with hands upraised to express    
confusion and surprise at the           
resurrection1 is too mannered1 and by   
its pose and action disturbs the serene 
harmony of the picture4  ,illustration3 
,,the ,,institution ,,of ,,the ,,holy   
,,sacrament4  ,illustration3 ,,the      
,,presentation ,,in ,,the ,,temple4  ,in
 the ,institution of the ,holy          
,sacrament1 ,fra ,angelico1 in true     
,giottesque style1 represented the      
,apostles at the mystic feast1 and      
,christ giving them the consecrated     
wafer1 while ,he holds the chalice in   
,his left hand4 ,here the figures of the
 disciples admirably express varied     
feelings of devotion and joy in         
receiving the divine food from the hand 
of the ,master4 ,but the fresco which   
surpasses all1 in nobility of line and  
simple grandeur of conception1 is the   

,coronation of the ,virgin4 ,christ and 
the ,virgin are seated in glory above   
the light clouds1 the ,son places the   
celestial crown on the head of the      
,mother who humbly bows her whole form  
towards ,him1 with hands crossed on her 
bosom4 ,her face is irradiated by an    
ineffable and heavenly smile1 the       
supreme expression of happiness2 the    
drapery of both is white and delicate1  
enveloping the limbs with well defined  
folds4 ,the figures without being       
ineffectual1 indeed they are even       
forcible1 yet appear aerial apparitions1
 and veritable visions of divinity4 ,six
 saints in ecstasy assist at the        
triumph1 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 ,st4    
,paul1 ,st4 ,dominic1 ,st4 ,francis1    
,st4 ,peter ,martyr and ,st4 ,benedict1 
three on the right and three on the     
left1 in a semicircular composition1 all
 in attitudes of contemplative ecstasy4 
,illustration3 ,,coronation ,,of ,,the  
,,virgin4  ,illustration3 ,,the ,,prayer
 ,,in ,,the ,,garden4  ,the frescoes of 

the ,maries at the ,sepulchre1 may also 
be considered one of our artist's       
masterpieces4 ,the risen ,christ emerges
 to half ,his figure from the clouds    
which envelop ,him1 while the holy women
 contemplate the empty sepulchre1 and   
the angel seated in it points out the   
miracle which has happened4 ,other      
scenes worthy of notice are the         
,presentation in the ,temple1 ,christ in
 ,hades1 and the ,buffeting of the      
,saviour1 and ,the ,prayer in the       
,garden4  ,illustration3 ,,adoration    
,,of ,,the ,,magi4  ,illustration3 ,,the
 ,,crucifixion4  ,in one of the last    
cells1 the ,crucifixion is reproduced in
 a new manner1 which represents ,christ 
having ascended the ladder and offering 
,himself to death3 ,his ,mother faints  
at his feet in the arms of ,mary        
,magdalene4 ,marchese asserts that this 
composition was inspired by a legend of 
,st4 ,mary ,magdalene in the language of
 the #adth century4 ,and ,i thought that
 ,messer ,ges1 ascended the cross by a  

ladder voluntarily1 offering ,his hands 
and feet4 ,a centurion who was          
afterwards saved saw the deed1 and like 
a wise man he said within himself1 oh1  
what a marvel is here6 that this prophet
 appears to willingly place himself on  
the ,cross1 neither murmuring nor       
resisting6 ,and while he stood admiring1
 ,messer ,ges had ascended sufficiently 
high1 and turning on the ladder opened  
,his kingly arms1 and extended ,his     
hands to those who were waiting to nail 
them4#df  ,illustration3 ,,the ,,virgin 
,,enthroned ,,amidst ,,saints4  ,lastly 
in the room which ,cosimo de' ,medici   
had prepared for his own use in the     
convent and where he often talked with  
the ,prior ,fra ,antonino1 ,fra         
,angelico painted an ,adoration of the  
,magi4 ,as ,pope ,eugene ,,iv4 slept in 
this room when he came to ,florence in  
#addb to assist at the consecration of  
the church1 it is probable that this    
,adoration allusive to the ,epiphany1 at
 which time the consecration took place1

 was painted at that epoch4  ,the       
fresco1 rich in figures and beauty1 is  
executed with real mastery4 ,the        
personages of the royal cortge vary in  
type and character1 in expression and   
sentiment1 showing the great pains our  
artist had taken in the painting of this
 important work1 which now1 unhappily   
restored and injured1 only allows us to 
guess at the wonderful beauty with which
 it was once filled4  ,we see his own   
hand more completely in the fresco in   
the corridor representing the ,virgin   
enthroned1 with the child seated on her 
knee and several saints at the sides4   
,on the right are ,st4 ,paul1 ,st4      
,thomas ,aquinas1 ,st4 ,laurence1 and   
,st4 ,peter ,martyr2 on the left ,st4   
,mark1 ,st4 ,cosmo and ,st4 ,damian1 and
 ,st4 ,dominic1 holding an open book    
where it is written3 ,caritatem habete2 
humilitatem servate2 paupertatem        
voluntariam possidete4 ,maledictionem   
,dei et meam imprecor possessiones      
inducenti in meo ,ordine4  ,this        

painting1 one of the most perfect in the
 convent1 is one of ,angelico's best1   
and shows what a high degree of ability 
he had reached4 ,the gentle head of the 
,virgin bends down to look at her ,son  
with the golden curls1 whose face with  
sparkling eyes breathes an infantile    
grace4 ,the execution is accurate1 the  
figures well designed1 full of          
character1 nobility and life2 the       
delicacy of tone1 just balance of       
composition and freshness of colouring1 
are mingled with the most profound      
sentiment and intimate knowledge of     
truth4  ,rio thinks this fresco was done
 while ,fra ,angelico was in ,tuscany   
after #adej2 his adieu1 as it were1 to  
his brethren2 a last legacy to that     
devout household with whom he had shared
 joys and sorrows1 and from which he was
 about to be separated4 ,there is       
nothing to refute this2 but it appears  
to us that he who had painted the great 
,crucifixion of the chapter-house might 
well have done at the same time this    

fresco4 ,it is a compendium of all his  
technical qualities and feeling1 and    
demonstrates how little by little he    
succeeded1 while still preserving his   
own spirit1 in reaching the real in art1
 and giving it life in a manner all his 
own4 ,but in comparing the pictures of  
the chapel of ,pope ,nicholas ,v4 in    
,rome1 with this fresco1 we cannot avoid
 noticing in those a greater freedom of 
composition and grouping of the figures1
 a greater majesty of design1 a truth   
and depth of observation1 not           
recognisable in any of his earlier      
works1 nor even in the large            
,crucifixion1 which is justly considered
 one of the pious monk's best works4    
,illustration     ,,in ,,the ,,gallery  
,,of ,,ancient ,,and ,,modern ,,art4    
,illustration3 ,,ancient ,,and ,,modern 
,,gallery--,,florence ,,the ,,descent   
,,from ,,the ,,cross4  ,illustration    
,the enthusiasm aroused by ,fra         
,angelico's pictures1 caused a vivid    
desire amongst the various religious    

orders of the city1 to possess some work
 of his2 ,dominicans1 ,vallombrosians1  
,chartreuse monks1 and the ,camaldolese 
of ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli1 vied    
with each other1 and all in turn        
obtained some of his admirable          
creations4  ,among the panels painted by
 ,fra ,giovanni for the ,florentine     
churches and convents1 the one which    
excels all for intensity of sentiment   
and sincerity of expression is the      
,deposition from the ,cross1 once in the
 ,sacristy of ,santa ,trinit1 and now in
 the ,ancient and ,modern ,gallery1 a   
panel in which1 writes ,vasari1 he put  
so much care that we may class it among 
the best things he ever did4  ,the      
disciples with loving reverence let down
 from the ,cross1 which occupies the    
centre of the composition1 the body of  
the ,saviour4 ,his face1 drooping on the
 left shoulder1 breathes a sorrowful    
calm1 and divine serenity which death   
itself could not destroy4 ,the nude is  
intelligently rendered1 in nobility of  

form1 softness of line1 and transparency
 and morbidity of colouring4 ,on the    
left stands a group of women2 ,st4 ,mary
 ,magdalene kisses the feet of ,christ2 
the ,virgin contemplates ,him in a      
trance of sadness2 on the right the     
disciples discuss the melancholy drama  
among themselves1 while below1 a        
kneeling saint holds his right hand to  
his breast and extends the left in a    
sorrowful wonder4 ,in the background is 
a hilly landscape with the ,holy ,city  
on the left1 and ,mount ,calvary which  
the artist with poetic and devout       
conceit1 writes ,marchese1 has drawn    
adorned with grass and flowers1 as      
though to denote that at the touch of   
the feet and precious blood of ,jesus   
,christ1 the bare heights were reclad in
 rich and verdant beauty4 ,although     
marred by restoration--for the eye is   
offended by the inharmonious contrast of
 tints1 the effect of unskilful         
retouching1--we may consider this       
painting as one of the most beautiful   

works which ,fra ,angelico has left us4 
,grandeur and simplicity are            
marvellously blended with freshness of  
colour1 and correctness of design with  
most intense expression and pure        
sentiment4  ,the landscape in the       
background shows the usual defects of   
perspective1 but the mountains shade off
 delicately against the distant blue of 
the sky1 the plain is illuminated with  
infinite flowerets1 and a rich verdure  
clothes the summit of the sacred hill4  
,in the pilasters of the frame are small
 figures of ,saints1 some of the best   
and finest that ,fra ,angelico ever     
painted1 and in the gables above the    
three arches ,lorenzo ,monaco has       
represented the ,noli me tangere1 the   
,resurrection1 and the ,maries at the   
,sepulchre4  ,here the question         
naturally arises3 ,why should ,lorenzo  
,monaco have limited his work solely to 
the three little scenes in the gables of
 the frame1 while ,fra ,angelico has    
given us the beautiful little figures of

 the pilasters which show all his       
peculiar grace and refinement8 ,why did 
an artist capable of producing those    
admirable saints1 leave to ,fra ,lorenzo
 ,monaco the office 7all the worse if he
 had been1 as some say1 his master7 of  
finishing the work with only those three
 insignificant little scenes8 ,and can  
we suppose that ,fra ,lorenzo ,monaco1  
already at the apex of his fame1 should 
accept1 and1 still more strange1 be     
content with a secondary part in ,fra   
,giovanni's work8  ,the answer is more  
simple than it at first appears4 ,there 
is no doubt that the scenes in the      
,gothic gables are the work of the      
,camaldolese monk1 and as we cannot     
logically infer that they were specially
 painted by him for ,fra ,angelico's    
picture1 we must suppose1 and indeed    
firmly believe them to have been added  
at a later time4 ,in fact1 the form of  
the foliated ,gothic decoration lacks   
character and does not harmonize with   
the pilasters which clearly show1 too1 a

 subsequent adaptation of the frame4    
,the finials of the pilasters do not    
match the style of the gables1 in fact  
it is clear that the ,gothic            
ornamentation1 taken from some painting 
by ,lorenzo ,monaco1 was at a more      
recent date adapted to ,fra ,angelico's 
altar-piece4  ,fra ,giovanni painted a  
panel picture of the ,dead ,christ for  
the ,compagnia del ,tempio in ,florence2
 this is now in the ,ancient and ,modern
 ,gallery1 having been placed there in  
#aghf1 after the suppression of that    
,company4  ,illustration3 ,,the ,,dead  
,,christ4  ,rio supposes that the       
enthusiasm aroused by the great         
,deposition in ,santa ,trinit1 tempted  
the ,company to covet the possession of 
a similar one4#dg  ,only two figures1   
however1 are common to the two          
paintings3 one is the ,st4 ,simeon      
kneeling in the left corner who1 in this
 second picture1 is represented as a    
younger man than in the first2 the other
 is a figure a little behind him1 which 

is a reproduction of that one in the    
large ,deposition with a hood on his    
head1 who is speaking to the disciple   
below him1 as he entrust to him the body
 of the ,saviour2--a figure which       
,milanesi believes to be a portrait of  
the architect ,michelozzo4  ,if this be 
indeed ,fra ,angelico's friend the      
,florentine architect1 we may admit     
,cartier's assertion that this panel is 
a sequel of the larger ,descent from the
 ,cross1 and may have been painted at   
the same time4#dh ,but these are things 
which we dare not affirm with any       
certainty1 as we entertain doubts       
regarding the greater or less           
authenticity of writers on the subject  
of ,michelozzo's portrait4  ,besides    
many figures of saints1 the painter has 
introduced those of ,st4 ,dominic and   
the ,beata ,villana1 because the        
,company of the ,temple had ancient     
rights over the relics of this good     
woman which are preserved in the        
,dominican church of ,santa ,maria      

,novella4 ,the other figures1 though    
expressing divers feelings of sorrow and
 lively sympathy1 have nothing in common
 with the famous ,deposition either in  
character or technique and the picture  
does not reach the usual perfection4    
,even the type of the ,christ differs   
remarkably in the two paintings1 so much
 so that no comparison can be           
instituted1 or resemblance found between
 them2 moreover1 the panel of the       
,temple ,company is badly spoilt by     
restoration1 and the colouring is so    
altered that it is almost black in some 
parts4  ,in the ,chapel of the ,,ss4    
,annunziata at ,florence which ,piero di
 ,cosimo de' ,medici caused to be built1
 ,fra ,angelico painted the doors of the
 presses where the silver plate is kept1
 with little figures executed with great
 diligence4#di ,they represent the life 
and death of ,christ in #ce small       
scenes1 which are now in the ,ancient   
and ,modern ,gallery4  ,padre ,marchese 
writes3 ,i believe it was in ,fiesole   

that he painted many of those little    
panels1 which may now be seen in the    
,gallery of the ,florentine ,academy of 
,design1 and perhaps also the doors of  
the presses for the silver vessels in   
the chapel of the ,,ss4 ,annunziata at  
,florence4 ,in his first edition ,vasari
 had enumerated them among his early    
works1 which may have seemed probable1  
as ,fra ,angelico's first steps in art  
were in illuminating and painting small 
stories4#ej  ,but as it was only in     
#addh that ,piero de' ,medici1 to show  
his devotion to the ,virgin of the      
,annunciation1 obtained from the monks  
the patronage of that altar with the    
intention of adorning it with a         
splendour worthy of the dignity of ,her 
to whom it was dedicated1#ea we cannot  
suppose that ,fra ,angelico painted the 
door of its treasure presses before that
 time4  ,rio also dates at the epoch of 
the monk's sojourn in ,tuscany towards  
#adej1 the great unfinished painting now
 in the ,academy of the ,belle ,arti1   

which has been regarded as one of ,fra  
,angelico's first works4 ,we know as a  
fact that in #adej he was prior of the  
convent at ,fiesole1 and may believe    
that he stayed some time in ,tuscany1   
before returning to ,rome to finish the 
chapel of ,pope ,nicholas ,v4#eb ,but   
,rio adds that besides the date of the  
building of the chapel1 the fact that   
the portrait of ,michelozzo represents  
him as older in this work than in the   
,deposition1 suggests for this cyclic   
composition an approximative date1 very 
far from that assigned to it            
previously4#ec  ,we must not forget1    
however1 that several doubts arise as to
 the identity of the person representing
 ,michelozzo4  ,vasari recognises him in
 that old ,nicodemus with a hood1 who   
lowers the ,christ from the cross in the
 ,deposition1 while ,milanesi1 asserting
 that ,nicodemus has a saint's aureole  
not a cowl1 holds that the portrait of  
,michelozzo is to be seen in the figure 
with a black hood who speaks with the   

disciple beneath him as he gives the    
body of the ,lord into his hands4       
,certainly ,milanesi has good reason to 
doubt ,vasari's assertion1 as ,nicodemus
 has no hood3 moreover ,vasari himself  
in his second edition of the ,lives     
7#aefh7 assigns as the architect's      
likeness that very figure with a cowl   
who is speaking to the disciple4        
,therefore we must admit that the       
,aretian ,historian was mistaken either 
in his indication of the figure1 or in  
the reproduction of it as a headpiece to
 his ,life of ,michelozzo4  ,in any     
case1 a similar figure to that in the   
,deposition1 and with the same          
head-gear1 again appears a little older 
in the fresco of the convent of ,san    
,marco representing the ,adoration of   
the ,magi2 also in another picture of   
the ,presentation in the ,temple2 and in
 the little square with a ,flight into  
,egypt1 on one of the doors of ,,ss4    
,annunziata4  ,illustration3 ,,flight   
,,into ,,egypt4  ,if ,michelozzo be     

really portrayed here1 we must conclude 
that the ,deposition was painted long   
before #addb1 and the press doors about 
the same time1 or a little later2 but   
the student must take into account the  
curious fact that in the ,deposition the
 disciple who talks to the man with a   
cowl above him1 has also a certain      
resemblance to the supposed ,michelozzo1
 and that ,nicodemus reappears as ,st4  
,john ,baptist on the left of the large 
altar-piece painted for the church of   
,san ,marco1 as well as in the picture  
of the dead ,christ1 and also as the    
kneeling ,king who kisses the feet of   
the ,babe in the fresco of the          
,adoration of the ,magi4  ,therefore1   
without giving great importance to the  
question of the true portrait of        
,michelozzo1 we find that these heads1  
whether of ,nicodemus or the hooded     
disciple1 are represented in various    
pictures by our artist1 modified by age1
 so that from them we may establish the 
succession of the different works1 i4 e4

 first the ,dead ,christ of the ,company
 of the ,temple1 next the picture at    
,san ,marco 7#adch71 then the           
,deposition1 and lastly the fresco in   
,san ,marco1 and the little             
,annunciation4 ,thus all these works    
would certainly date during ,fra        
,angelico's stay in ,florence4  ,but to 
return to the doors of the presses in   
the ,,ss4 ,annunziata1 it is true1 as   
,rio writes1 that instead of being a    
series of subjects for future frescoes  
or altar-pieces1 the stories seem a     
hasty resum1 often too hasty1 of works  
already painted in the convent of ,san  
,marco or other places4 ,some of them   
are noticeable for firmness of design   
and vigour of colouring1 others instead 
are unworthy of the master and evidently
 show another hand4  ,illustration3     
,,christ ,,betrayed ,,by ,,judas4       
,illustration3 ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of
 ,,lazarus4  ,to give this great work   
its due appreciation we must take it as 
a whole1 as the profound genius of ,fra 

,angelico had conceived it4 ,wishing to 
give it the unity of a dramatic poem1 he
 placed at the beginning and at the end1
 like a prologue and an epilogue1 two   
symbolic figures1 in the last of which  
the seven branched candlestick serves as
 a support to the ,old and ,new         
,testaments4#ed  ,we may enumerate among
 the best scenes the ,flight into       
,egypt1 the ,slaughter of the           
,innocents1 the ,betrayal of ,judas1 the
 ,dead ,christ1 and the ,resurrection of
 ,lazarus1 all composed in ,giottesque  
style3 but1 when we think of the        
progress of ,fra ,angelico in art as    
shown in the frescoes in ,san ,marco1   
and his best panel paintings1 we cannot 
avoid noticing a certain want of vigour 
in these presses4  ,illustration3 ,,the 
,,slaughter ,,of ,,the ,,innocents4     
,illustration3 ,,entombment ,,of        
,,christ4  ,having become accustomed to 
the grander methods of fresco painting1 
in which his talent and ability found   
greater scope for expression1--even     

though not attaining to the ease and    
force of some of his contemporaries and 
followers1--,fra ,angelico must have now
 found himself at the disadvantage1     
natural to one who1 after moving free in
 wider space1 is suddenly cramped into  
narrower confines4 ,this explains why we
 find in some of these small panels1    
greater conventionality in the          
representation of scenes and action1 and
 less ease and correctness of execution4
 ,we might add also1 that many of them1 
where these defects are especially      
evident1 may be ascribed to other hands1
 less clever than his own1 those of his 
assistants who were called in to        
expedite the work and assist the artist4
  ,illustration3 ,,coronation ,,of ,,the
 ,,virgin4  ,rio believes that two of   
,angelico's paintings1 one of which was 
once in the ,dominican monastery of ,san
 ,vincenzo d' ,annalena1 and the other  
in that of the ,frati dell',osservanza  
in ,mugello1 but now both at the ,belle 
,arti1 were executed later than the     

frescoes in the ,vatican1 to which they 
offer an extraordinary resemblance1 not 
perceivable in the artist's earlier     
works4#ee  ,illustration3 ,,the         
,,symbolic ,,wheel4  ,we cannot1        
however1 accept the assertion of the    
,french critic4 ,these two pictures1    
though utterly different in character   
and type1 too forcibly recall his       
previous works4 ,and as according to the
 same author the altar-piece of the     
monks #ee of the ,mugello resembles the 
other in colouring1 technique1 the freer
 style of drapery1 the type of the      
,virgin and character of the figures1 we
 might reasonably conclude that both    
paintings belong to the period of his   
residence at ,fiesole or ,florence1 i4  
e4 previous to his departure for ,rome  
in #adde4  ,illustration3 ,,the         
,,madonna ,,and ,,child ,,with ,,saints4
 7,annalena ,convent47  ,illustration3  
,,the ,,madonna ,,and ,,child ,,with    
,,angels ,,and ,,saints4 7,from the     
,convent of the ,osservanza47  ,we are  

even less inclined to endorse the       
opinion of ,rio in regard to the date of
 the painting from the ,annalena        
,convent4 ,the internal organization of 
the convent was only regulated by a bull
 of ,pope ,nicholas ,v4 after #adej1 so 
there is probably no connection between 
the internal establishment of the       
convent and the ,commission for the     
picture4  ,the convent 7it is well to   
remember7 was founded in #adec1 but the 
religious intentions of ,anna ,elena    
,malatesta met with no slight           
resistance1 and it was not till #adee1  
that ,pope ,calixtus ,,iii4 conceded her
 permission to build in her house a     
public oratory in which mass should be  
celebrated and the divine ,offices      
performed4 ,we cannot then admit that   
the picture was specially painted for   
the convent named#ef after that saintly 
lady4 ,when one reflects that ,anna     
,elena ,malatesta1 foundress of the     
monastery1 was educated in the house of 
,attilio di ,vieri de' ,medici1 and was 

by ,cosimo ,pater ,patri married to     
,baldaccio of ,anghiari1 it is not      
unlikely that the picture had been a    
commission from ,cosimo1 and that when  
,annalena was left a widow1 and took the
 vows in #adda1 it was offered by him to
 the convent1 to which the sad widow had
 consecrated all her care4 ,it is the   
more probable1 that it was painted for  
the ,medici1 because the two patron     
saints of their house are represented in
 it4  ,,ss4 ,cosmo and ,damian only     
appear in the pictures painted by ,fra  
,angelico in ,florence1 probably in     
recognition of the benefits bestowed by 
,cosimo on the monks of ,san ,marco2    
moreover1 we do not think the work could
 have been done at ,fiesole after the   
first visit to ,rome in #adeb1 because  
the figures1 weak in chiaroscuro1 are   
still treated as if they were enlarged  
miniatures1 and do not show the         
character of his later works4 ,on the   
other hand the picture of the           
,osservanza in ,mugello displays the    

whole power of the artist1 and may be   
compared1 as ,rio says1 to the panel at 
,san ,marco both in the character of the
 figures and the larger style of        
treatment4  ,vasari cites other works   
which have unfortunately been dispersed 
or destroyed1 among which were an       
altar-piece in the ,certosa at          
,florence1 representing the ,virgin and 
,child1 with some angels below1 and at  
the sides ,st4 ,laurence1 ,st4 ,zenobi1 
and ,st4 ,benedict2 the ,coronation of  
the ,madonna1 once in the lunette of the
 ,acciajoli chapel3 another with the    
,virgin and two saints1 painted con     
azzurri oltramarini bellissimi1 7with   
beautiful ultramarine blues73 and the   
pictures in the dividing wall of ,santa 
,maria ,novella opposite the choir4 ,the
 ,annunciation1 which according to      
,vasari was in the church of ,san       
,francesco at ,san ,miniato1 and which  
,milanesi believes to be in the ,museum 
of ,madrid1 is instead now in the       
,national ,gallery at ,london4 ,it is a 

diptych1 in one panel the archangel     
,gabriel1 with golden wings outspread1  
crossing his hands on his breast bows   
before the ,virgin1 who in the other    
panel leans forward to listen to his    
blessed word4 ,the scene is in a        
cloister1 from the arches of which a    
field of flowers is seen1 and in the    
distant horizon the outlines of the     
,apennine mountains4 ,a great lily      
blossoms beside the ,virgin1 the two    
capitals of the columns of the cloister 
have the ,albizzi arms carved on them4  
,this good ,father painted so many      
pictures for the houses of the citizens 
of ,florence1 that one wonders how one  
man could so perfectly execute even in  
many years all that he has done4 ,so    
writes ,vasari1 and indeed a complete   
list of his paintings still existing in 
,italy and elsewhere would be too long2 
those we have illustrated will1 however1
 suffice to give a good idea of his     
artistic genius1 and the sentiment with 
which this gentle artist could represent

 the marvellous visions of a soul in    
love with heaven6  ,illustration3 ,,the 
,,last ,,supper4     ,,iv4  ,,fra       
,,angelico ,,at ,,rome ,,and ,,orvieto4 
#adde-adee4  ,illustration3 ,,christ    
,,in ,,judgment4 7,orvieto1 ,cathedral47
   ,these many and various              
labours--writes ,vasari--having rendered
 the name of ,fra ,giovanni illustrious 
throughout all ,italy1 he was invited to
 ,rome by ,pope ,nicholas ,v41 who      
caused him to adorn the chapel of the   
palace1 where the pontiff is accustomed 
to hear mass1 with a ,deposition from   
the ,cross1 and with certain events from
 the life of ,san ,lorenzo1 which are   
admirable4#eg  ,but ,vasari errs in     
giving to ,nicholas ,v4 the merit of    
having called ,fra ,angelico to ,rome2  
he is also mistaken in affirming that   
the artist was offered the archbishopric
 of ,florence1 and on his modest refusal
 ,sant' ,antonino was proposed to the   
,pope3 and because ,fra ,giovanni       
appearing to the ,pope to be1 as he     

really was1 a person of most holy life1 
gentle and modest1 the archbishopric of 
,florence having then become vacant1 he 
judged him worthy of that preferment4#eh
  ,it was instead ,pope ,eugene ,,iv41  
who wishing to embellish the ,vatican   
with pictures1 invited ,fra ,angelico to
 ,rome in #adde1 having admired his     
sanctity of life1 and talent in art when
 in ,florence4 ,that ,pope died the     
following year1 but in his successor    
,nicholas ,v41 ,fra ,angelico found     
another sincere admirer and friend1 and 
he remained in ,rome to finish the works
 he had begun4 ,he painted two chapels  
in the ,vatican1 the one of the         
,sacrament for ,eugene ,,iv41 the other 
for ,pope ,nicholas ,v41 whose name it  
still bears4 ,the former was pulled down
 by ,pope ,paul ,,iii4 to improve the   
staircase4  ,in this work1 says ,vasari1
 which was an excellent one1 ,fra       
,giovanni had in his own admirable      
manner painted stories in fresco from   
the life of ,christ1 and had introduced 

many portraits of eminent persons then  
living4 ,these portraits would most     
probably have been lost to us1 had not  
,paulo ,jovius caused the following     
among them to be preserved for his      
,museum3 ,pope ,nicholas ,v41 the       
,emperor ,frederick1 who had at that    
time arrived in ,italy2 ,fra ,antonino1 
who afterwards became ,archbishop of    
,florence2 ,biondo da ,forl1 and        
,ferdinand of ,arragon4#ei  ,it is      
probable that after having finished the 
chapel of the ,sacrament1 and before the
 new commission was given by ,nicholas  
,v41 ,fra ,angelico--by means of ,don   
,francesco di ,barone of ,perugia1 a    
,benedictine monk and celebrated master 
of glass painting--entered into         
negotiation with the ,operai and        
,consuls of the ,duomo at ,orvieto1 to  
paint the chapel of the ,madonna di ,san
 ,brizio4 ,but before he accepted the   
commission he gave them to understand   
that he could only go to ,orvieto in the
 months of ,june1 ,july and ,august1    

when he did not wish to remain in ,rome4
  ,he demanded #bjj gold ducats a year1 
together with all expenses of board and 
lodging1 colours and scaffolding2       
besides seven ducats a month for his    
assistant1 and two for his boy4 ,the    
contract was signed on these conditions 
by ,messer ,enrico ,monaldeschi1 the    
principal citizen--almost the tyrant--of
 ,orvieto1 who always took a personal   
part in the most important events of the
 city4 ,fra ,angelico took with him     
,benozzo di ,lese1 ,giovanni di ,antonio
 da ,firenze1 and ,iacomo di ,poli1 with
 whose assistance he commenced the      
painting in the large lunettes on ,june 
#aeth #addg4 ,pietro di ,niccola of     
,orvieto was also employed4 ,they       
painted together for three months and a 
half1 but ,fra ,angelico did not return 
the following year4  ,as the summer of  
#addi drew near1 the overseers1 who were
 left with only ,pietro ,baroni1 a      
proved artist1 endeavoured to persuade  
,fra ,angelico to go back again1 and    

join ,baroni1 saying that if he failed  
them1 they would prefer to postpone the 
work1 as they looked more to the beauty 
than the expense1 as they always had    
been accustomed to do4 ,when every hope 
of obtaining ,fra ,angelico was lost1   
they gave ,benozzo ,gozzoli a trial to  
continue ,fra ,giovanni's frescoes1#fj  
but the effect was not happy4           
,illustration3 ,,the ,,prophets4        
7,orvieto1 ,cathedral47  ,fra ,angelico 
painted in the roof of the chapel a     
,christ in ,judgment1 surrounded by a   
glory of angels4 ,sixteen saints and    
prophets are seated on clouds with the  
motto3 ,prophetarum laudabilis numerus4 
,the ,saviour in a circle of light      
raises ,his right hand on high1 while   
the left supports a globe on ,his knees4
 ,on both sides are groups of angels in 
varied attitudes of adoration4 ,the     
prophets stand out in pyramidal groups  
on a background of gold1 and are either 
reading or meditating with religious    
calm4 ,rosini judges the ,christ to be  

the work of ,benozzo ,gozzoli1 because  
it seems inferior to the prophets1 which
 show a grander treatment and better    
execution4 ,i think1 he writes1 that the
 prophets alone belong to ,fra          
,angelico2 the ,christ in glory1 and the
 remainder to ,benozzo and the others4  
,i am led to this not only by their     
different style1 but the heads of the   
prophets1 although they are disposed one
 above the other1 as the space demands1 
show the more dignified style1 and      
perfect execution of the ,florentine    
monk4 ,that perfection ought to be seen 
also in the ,christ1 which seems to me  
to be a little inferior to them4#fa     
,but even while admitting that the      
features of the ,saviour have in some   
parts the characteristics of ,benozzo's 
style1 we must not forget that he       
derived from his master both his good   
and bad points1 and from the latter     
especially originated those peculiar    
defects1 which are greatly emphasized in
 ,benozzo's works4 ,hence it is natural 

that something of the scholar's manner  
should appear in that face1 but it is no
 proof that he has worked at it4 ,on the
 contrary it is enough to prove the     
impossibility of ascribing this figure  
to him1 to glance at the head of ,christ
 in ,benozzo's fresco in the church of  
,st4 ,francis at ,montefalco1           
representing the meeting of ,st4        
,francis and ,st4 ,dominic4 ,high up on 
the left the ,saviour raises ,his right 
hand and the ,virgin kneels at ,his     
feet4 ,now all the figures are          
absolutely wanting in dignity and       
character1 especially the downcast head 
of ,christ1 with its projecting forehead
 and receding chin1 which is absolutely 
vulgar4 ,here ,benozzo has not even     
distantly remembered any of his master's
 noble representations of the ,saviour4 
,therefore not only had he no part in   
that figure at ,orvieto1 but neither    
could he have done the prophets1 for    
they are far superior to the ,christ4   
,finally1 it is not probable that ,fra  

,angelico1 with the feeling which       
inspired his work1 should entrust to an 
assistant the execution of such an      
important figure as the ,christ4  ,even 
though the figure of the ,christ is not 
to be compared to the finest of the     
prophets1 yet we find in the countenance
 the same characteristics as the other  
heads display4 ,true1 it looks worse    
than it really is1 for a crack in the   
roof has damaged the mouth and beard1   
and the fresco has besides suffered in  
the restorer's hands4  ,it is a known   
fact1 that a few months after ,fra      
,angelico left1 it was necessary to     
repair the roof of the chapel in which  
he had worked1 on account of the rain   
that percolated there1 to the great     
detriment of the paintings4  ,however   
this may be1 it is certain that the     
heads of the prophets have sweetness of 
expression and nobility of character1   
and all the figures are remarkable for  
their fine form1 dignified attitudes1   
free and simple draperies1 combined with

 bright and vivid colouring4 ,these     
qualities are not so visible in the     
compartment of our ,lord and the adoring
 angels1 which may with more certainty  
be attributed to ,benozzo4  ,fra        
,angelico returned to ,rome on the #bhth
 of ,september in that year 7#addg7 and 
never went back to ,orvieto1 but his    
reasons for breaking his contract and   
leaving a work incomplete are not       
explained4  ,perhaps he perceived the   
difficulties of the composition and was 
arrested by the terrifying dread--which 
his character and feeling would have    
magnified--of painting a ,last ,judgment
 in such grand proportions4 ,or he may  
have had an intuition1 that his work    
would never be worthy of that famous    
building1 especially as he was called on
 to depict the punishments of hell and  
the various feelings of sorrow1 passion 
and despair in the damned souls1        
sentiments so foreign to his own nature4
 ,or possibly the desire to finish the  
paintings entrusted to him in ,rome by  

the new ,pontiff ,nicholas ,v41 induced 
him to break his contract4 ,in the      
absence of more precise records it is   
difficult to establish the truth4       
,certain it is that ,fra ,angelico left 
,orvieto for ,rome and that he painted  
there a ,studio or ,chapel for ,nicholas
 ,v41 for which the payment is entered  
in a register dated #addi1 but after    
this year1 writes ,mntz1 we find no more
 traces of the illustrious ,dominican1  
in the books of the secret treasury4#fb 
,on ,january #ajth #adeb ,fra ,angelico 
is again at ,fiesole as prior of his    
convent1 and in the same year the rulers
 of the ,commune of ,prato employed the 
good offices of ,archbishop ,antonino to
 induce ,fra ,angelico to paint the     
principal chapel of their church2 but he
 refused1 and the commission was given  
to ,filippo ,lippi4  ,the fact that the 
name of the ,dominican artist has not   
been found in the registers of the      
,vatican ,treasury after #addi1 need not
 necessarily be taken as a proof that he

 was not working in the ,chapel of      
,nicholas ,v4 at a later date4 ,indeed1 
as he went no more to ,orvieto1 and     
would not undertake to paint the ,choir 
of the ,prato ,cathedral1 it seems      
probable that he should have gone back  
to ,rome to finish his work there4  ,the
 chapel which preserves these precious  
frescoes by ,angelico may be considered 
one of the most famous monuments of     
,italian art4  ,on three of the walls1  
he has represented in two lines of      
frescoes the ,vocation1 the             
,apostleship1 and the ,martyrdom of ,st4
 ,stephen and ,st4 ,laurence4 ,on the   
first side ,st4 ,stephen receives the   
,communion from ,st4 ,peter1 and        
distributes alms to the poor3 on the    
second are his preaching and            
justification before the high priest3 in
 the third his lapidation4 ,below on the
 first wall is the consecration of ,st4 
,laurence1 and his almsgiving to the    
poor and maimed2 second1 his            
imprisonment and the conversion of the  

jailer2 and lastly his martyrdom4  ,the 
design is free and firm1 yet keeping    
true to the character of the artist4    
,the execution is more accurate and     
equal2 although less realistic than that
 of ,masaccio1 yet he succeeds in giving
 his figures a greater grace and softer 
expression1 indeed1 the sentiment with  
which he imbues his figures1 was never  
reached by any other artist1 and that   
sentiment is here more admirably        
expressed than in any other of his      
works4  ,illustration3 ,,chapel ,,of    
,,pope ,,nicholas ,v4 ,,vatican--,,rome4
 ,,st4 ,,lawrence ,,ordained ,,deacon   
,,by ,,pope ,,sixtus ,,ii4              
,illustration3 ,,the ,,preaching ,,and  
,,justification ,,of ,,st4 ,,stephen4   
7,vatican1 ,rome47  ,whether ,st4       
,stephen be kneeling in wrapt devotion  
to take the chalice1 or with the love of
 divine charity giving money to the     
woman1 while the little child gives him 
its hand2 whether touching his thumb he 
seems to explain some religious         

question1 while some women seated there 
hang on his words1 exchange their       
impressions1 or ecstatically clasp their
 hands in sign of admiration or faith2  
whether he speak before the ,great      
,council1 or is conducted at last       
torture1 supporting it with faith and   
resignation2--his noble figure always   
inspires a feeling of profound piety1 of
 serene calm and personal devotion4     
,although the representation of         
buildings is still too fantastic1 the   
perspective is not neglected as in some 
other works4 ,in the ,ordination of ,st4
 ,stephen1 the design of the interior of
 the church is in good architectural    
style1 but the canopy above the altar is
 so low in proportion to the figure of  
,st4 ,peter1 that if he were to rise to 
his full height he could not stand at   
the altar2 in another the open space in 
which ,st4 ,stephen is preaching has a  
fortress on the right1 and a palace of  
very doubtful character in the          
background4 ,the details of             

ornamentation1 however1 are very        
carefully designed1 the motives of the  
decoration being refined and elegant4   
,the pilasters with their pretty        
candelabra and capitals rich with       
sculpture1 combine so harmoniously with 
the purer architectural forms1 as to    
produce a most pleasing effect and show 
the result of his studies among the     
numberless remains of ancient ,rome4    
,illustration3 ,,chapel ,,of ,,pope     
,,nicholas ,v4--,,vatican--,,rome4      
,,pope ,,sixtus ,,ii ,,consigns ,,the   
,,treasures ,,of ,,the ,,church ,,to    
,,st4 ,,laurence4  ,the ,st4 ,laurence  
series is not less beautiful4 ,it is    
marvellous that ,fra ,angelico could    
express motives so analogous to the     
former set of frescoes without repeating
 himself4 ,sixtus ,,ii41 drawn with the 
lineaments of ,nicholas ,v41 consecrates
 to the diaconal office ,st4 ,laurence1 
who reverently kneeling extends both    
hands to receive the sacramental cup4   
,around them are some fine figures of   

ecclesiastics1 who1 robed in magnificent
 vestments1 assist at the ceremony1     
together with deacons and acolytes1 who 
hold the book and censer4 ,there is1 it 
is true1 a great sameness in the heads1 
which suggests that most of them were   
studied from the same model4  ,in       
another fresco1 the ,pope consigns the  
treasures of the church to the saint1   
while a monk turns brusquely round at   
the noise made at the door by two       
soldiers who come to conduct ,st4       
,laurence to martyrdom4 ,but where ,fra 
,angelico has best succeeded in fully   
rendering his sentiment1 is in the      
painting which represents the           
distribution of alms4 ,angelico         
evidently delights in the thought of the
 inner satisfaction of the saint1 and   
the happiness of the recipients2 and the
 sincere and serene joy transfused in   
the countenances of the different       
figures is expressed with unusual       
ability and extraordinary truth to      
nature4  ,he has enlivened the severity 

of the scene by the episode of two      
children1 who are laughingly struggling 
over a piece of money received4         
,infantile grace and content breathe in 
their features1 though slightly         
disturbed by the doubt which of them    
will remain possessor of the precious   
gift4  ,the two last frescoes are very  
attractive and equally admirable4 ,one  
represents the condemnation of ,st4     
,laurence1 the other his martyrdom4 ,the
 study of classic art is still more     
manifest in these than in the others1   
for not only the architecture1 but even 
the niches which contain statues are    
imitated from the antique4  ,in the     
,condemnation the ,emperor ,decius wears
 a cuirass with a toga over it fastened 
on the right shoulder1 as in the ancient
 imperial busts4 ,his sceptre is        
terminated by a little idol1 and above  
his throne is the ,roman eagle with     
outspread wings1 in a garland of bay    
leaves3 in the other fresco the statues 
appear to be reproductions of ancient   

,roman monuments4 ,but unfortunately    
this last picture has been so injured   
and restored that we cannot fully       
appreciate its value4  ,illustration3   
,,chapel ,,of ,,pope ,,nicholas         
,v4--,,vatican--,,rome4 ,,st4 ,,laurence
 ,,give ,,the ,,church ,,money ,,to     
,,the ,,poor4  ,illustration3 ,,st4     
,,bonaventure4  ,the execution of these 
pictures is really remarkable4 ,fra     
,angelico1 as we have said1 without     
losing his fundamental qualities1 has   
acquired and here reveals new qualities2
 the four ,evangelists among the clouds 
on a background of blue1 dotted with    
golden stars1 are noble and full of     
character2 the figures of the saints on 
the simulated pilasters1 and at the     
corners of each side of the chapel1     
might be classed among ,fra ,angelico's 
best4 ,who does not remember above the  
rest the fine and noble figure of ,st4  
,bonaventure1 with his flowing white    
beard1 thoughtful eyes1 and an aspect of
 goodness and seriousness combined that 

is quite enchanting8 ,what other figure1
 however beautiful1 can show such just  
proportions1 solid form1 and majestic   
design1 such a strong character and     
expression as this8 ,the saint's        
thoughtful gaze is turned to the left1  
his mouth lightly indicating a smile1 or
 rather the sweet expression of innate  
goodness1 the marvellously drawn hands  
support an open book which rests on his 
side4 ,here ,fra ,angelico reveals his  
skill in all its fulness2 and when we   
reflect on his advanced age1 we can only
 remain in admiring surprise before the 
freshness of his creative power1 and the
 force of his execution4  ,we have      
documental evidence that ,benozzo       
,gozzoli assisted his master in these   
frescoes1 and doubtless we may attribute
 to him the fine decorations1 where     
roses bud amidst flowers and foliage of 
every kind1 and garlands are resting on 
pretty little children's heads1 or are  
festooned on medallions bearing the     
tiara1 and crossed keys of ,nicholas    

,v42 but we cannot give him the merit of
 having beautified the scenes of the    
,preaching of ,st4 ,stephen1 or ,st4    
,laurence distributing alms4#fc         
,illustration3 ,,chapel ,,of ,,pope     
,,nicholas ,v4 ,,vatican--,,rome4 ,,st4 
,,laurence ,,condemned ,,to ,,martyrdom4
  ,we admit the probability that        
,benozzo may have executed some of the  
figures1 but there is a difference      
between this and supposing that he had  
any conspicuous part in the             
compositions1 especially in the ,st4    
,laurence series1 which we cannot       
believe4 ,if the whole scene were indeed
 by ,benozzo1 would not the difference  
of hand between master and scholar be   
more strikingly evident8 ,and the more  
so1 as the scholar had not yet reached  
mastery of technique1 and his early     
frescoes show a certain crudeness1 want 
of harmony and incorrectness of design1 
which far remove them from the proved   
technical ability of his master4 ,nor   
can we believe that he timidly followed 

the lines traced on the walls by ,fra   
,angelico1 for even in that case        
something peculiar to himself must have 
been clearly perceptible in them4 ,now  
this1 to speak frankly1 is not evident4 
,none of the women assisting at the     
preaching of ,st4 ,stephen recall the   
characteristic type of those which      
,benozzo painted in the frescoes at     
,montefalco4 ,the saint's listeners have
 regular features1 and remind one of the
 various female figures in the ,san     
,marco frescoes 7,resurrection of       
,christ and ,prayer on the ,mount of    
,olives74 ,benozzo's handling is less   
solid1 his outlines are hard and sharp1 
colouring crude and chiaroscuro weak2 in
 the stories of ,st4 ,laurence we find  
instead1 and in a very high degree1 the 
solidity and correctness which we have  
admired in ,fra ,angelico's ,florentine 
paintings4  ,it suffices to recall the  
,adoration of the ,magi1 in ,san ,marco1
 one of his last works before leaving   
for ,rome1 and the beautiful prophets at

 ,orvieto2 in both these pictures we    
meet with the same types and figures as 
in the ,roman frescoes1 especially in   
those representing ,st4 ,peter ordaining
 ,st4 ,stephen1 ,st4 ,laurence          
distributing alms1 and ,st4 ,stephen    
before the high priest4 ,without then   
following up doubtful suppositions1 it  
does not seem admissible that ,fra      
,angelico1 old as he was1 should have   
ceded to his pupil either the direction1
 or the greater part of works of such   
importance1 which it was greatly to his 
interest to finish with the utmost care 
and perfection4  ,cavalcaselle remarks  
that the severity of the ,orvietans who 
would not let ,benozzo finish the work  
which ,fra ,angelico had left           
incomplete1 is inexplicable2 but we must
 remember that though ,benozzo imitated 
his master's style1 the inferiority of  
his talent was always apparent in the   
common types1 false anatomy1 and        
mistaken proportions of his figures4 ,he
 does not equal the master who guided   

him in his first years1 but he follows  
his style as much as he can1 with less  
talent4#fd  ,it was not therefore       
,benozzo's work which enlarged the      
master's style1 but in the ,vatican     
frescoes the master clearly #fd shows   
the effort he has himself made to render
 the action of his figures more grand1  
his painting more solid1 figures more   
characteristic and the episodes with    
which his admirable compositions are    
enriched more fundamentally truthful4   
,these paintings prove that he had      
reached his greatest artistic           
development2 although always retaining  
his innate character he concedes to the 
new requirements of art as much of his  
temperament and sentiment1 as he can    
conscientiously yield4 ,thus his works  
display a continuous improvement1 each  
new stage in the long road of his       
artistic career1 represents a fresh     
conquest1 a new and remarkable progress4
 ,his pupils and collaborators limited  
themselves to aiding him1 and rendering 

his work lighter in parts of secondary  
importance1 but he needed no other help 
to be1 and always remain1 worthy of the 
high company in which he finds himself  
in the ,vatican4  ,in the ,sixtine      
,chapel1 near the quiet creations of the
 artists of the ,renaissance1 the power 
and awful force of ,michelangelo stand  
out2 in the ,stanze ,raphael has left an
 everlasting wealth of artistic         
treasures2 and in the ,chapel of        
,nicholas ,v4 ,fra ,angelico with       
ingenuous expression and the purest and 
most sincere religious feeling1 painted 
his master-piece4  ,but notwithstanding 
the great difference between the former 
giants of art1 and our saintly artist1  
he is quite worthy of their glorious    
company4  ,the sweet gentleness of his  
character was all that hindered him from
 a more exact and deep study of reality1
 but it was precisely by means of this  
character that he succeeded1 as no one  
else could do1 in expressing the        
elevated ideas of his serene and calm   

soul1 profound inspiration and nave     
freshness of faith4  ,in #adee after a  
life entirely dedicated to art1 ,fra    
,giovanni1 at the age of #fh years1 died
 in ,rome1 having well earned the       
grateful veneration of posterity4 ,the  
austere virtues of his soul gained him  
the title of ,beato 7blessed7 and for   
the lovely lines traced by his brush1 he
 was called ,angelico4 ,a marble        
monument was erected over his tomb in   
the church of the ,minerva1 with his    
effigy and the following inscription1   
said to have been dictated by ,pope     
,nicholas ,v4 himself3    ,,hic ,,jacet 
,,ven4 ,,pictor   ,,fr4 ,,jo4 ,,de      
,,flor4 ,,ord4 ,p4            ,m        
,c ,c ,c ,c            ,l            ,v 
,non mihi sit laudi1 quod eram velut    
alter ,apelles1      ,sed quod lucra    
tuis omnia1 ,christe1 dabam2   ,altera  
nam terris opera extant1 altera coelo2  
,urbs me ,joannem ,flos tulit ,etruri4  
,give me not praise for being almost a  
second ,apelles1 but because ,i gave to 

thy poor1 ,o ,christ1 all my earnings4  
,thus part of my work remains on earth  
and part in heaven4 ,my home was in that
 city1 which is the ,flower of ,etruria4
  ,illustration     ,,footnotes   #a    
,vasari1 ,sansoni's edition1 ,,ii1 p4   
#ebj4  #b ,buckhardt und ,boue1         
,cicerone4  #c ,storia della ,pittura1  
,,ii1 p4 #cfj4  #d ,guido was ,fra      
,angelico's baptismal name in the world4
  #e ,marchese1 ,memorie dei pi insigni 
pittori1 scultori e architetti          
domenicani1 ,i1 p4 #bfg4 ,bologna1      
,romagnoli #ahgh4  #f ,cavalcaselle1    
,storia della ,pittura1 ,,ii1 p4 #bcd4  
#g ,vasari1 ,vita di ,masaccio1 ,,ii1 p4
 #bii4  #h ,museo civico4 ,sala #f1 n4  
#g4  #i ,cartier1 ,vie de ,fra          
,angelico4 ,paris1 #aheg1 p4 #cef4  #aj 
,vasari1 ,,ii1 p4 #eah4  #aa ,vasari1   
,,ii1 p4 #ebh1 note i4 ,the translations
 from ,vasari are from ,bohn's edition4 
#ab ,ibid41 ,,ii1 p4 #ebh4  #ac ,vasari1
 ,,ii1 p4 #eje4  #ad ,vasari1 vol4 ,,ii1
 p4 #eab4  #ae ,translation3      ,i    

raise my eyes1 sweet ,mary ,i behold1   
,with book in hand2 an angel form is    
near4      ,it is the shining angel     
,gabriel   ,who kneels before her in    
humility1   ,and saith3 ,fear not1 pure 
,virgin1 ,i from heaven   ,a messenger  
from ,god omnipotent   ,come down to    
bring glad tidings unto thee1   ,for he 
hath chosen thee for his blest spouse4  
,he saith again3 ,in heaven it is       
decreed   ,thou shalt be mother of the  
,son of ,god1   ,therefore the ,father  
me1 his angel1 sends   ,to swift fulfil 
his sacred will and law4   ,and down    
from him the highest ,lord to bring     
,this benediction unto which thou'rt    
called4      ,the angel's heaven-sent   
words were so inflamed   ,with sacred   
love's own virtue did they burn   ,they 
truly seemed to fall from ,god above4   
,with holy joy her beating heart was    
full3   ,behold1 she said1 the handmaid 
of the ,lord1   ,be it to me according  
to his word4      ,but as she sat within
 her archd cell   ,she wondered greatly 

how this thing should be3   ,for ,i know
 not1 nor speak with any man1   ,to     
,gabriel she timidly responds4   ,then  
quoth he3 ,mary ,hail6 thou favoured    
art1   ,and full of grace1 the ,lord is 
with thee now4      ,and then came down 
the spirit of the ,lord1   ,a ray of    
golden light shone round about1   ,it   
pierced her breast1 that fruitful       
heaven-sent ray1   ,and from her womb1  
whose virgin purity   ,was still        
inviolate1 was born the ,christ   ,while
 she a mother1 was pure ,virgin still4  
,oh6 lovers true1 come hither unto her3 
,madonna she of grace and beauty fair1  
,the earth and air but live for her     
sweet sake1   ,the queen of heaven1 and 
pillar of the world3   ,he who would see
 the lovely damosel   ,one this         
,annunciation he should gaze4  ,from an 
anonymous ,laud reprinted by ,galletti1 
n4 ,,cclxviii1 p4 #aba4  #af ,op4 cit41 
,i1 p4 #bic4  #ag ,vie de ,fra          
,angelico1 p4 #bdc4  #ah ,year #ahid1 p4
 #cgj4  #ai ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #eaj4  #bj   

,vol4 ,i1 p4 #big4  #ba ,vasari1 ,,ii1  
p4 #eaj1 note #a4  #bb ,pictures in the 
,national ,gallery1 with descriptive    
text written by ,c4 ,l4 ,eastlake4 ,no4 
,i1 p4 #aj4  #bc ,vasari1 ,,ii1 p4 #eaj4
  #bd ,this valuable painting was ceded 
by the monks of the ,scalzi to the      
,museum of ,madrid in #ahfa at the      
suggestion of ,seor ,don ,federigo de   
,madrazo4--,catalogue of the ,museum of 
,prado1 ,don ,pedro de ,madrazo #ahhi1  
p4 #ai4  #be ,vasari1 ,,ii1 p4 #eaj and 
#eaa4  #bf ,mntz1 ,histoire de l'art    
pendant la ,renaissance--,les           
,primitifs--p4 #fec and #feh4  #bg ,op4 
cit41 ,i1 p4 #cjh4  #bh ,la ,sculpture  
,florentine1 ,alinari1 #ahig1 p4 #aeb4  
#bi ,vasari1 ,,ii1 p4 #eae4  #cj ,par41 
,canto ,,xxxi 7,carey's translation74   
#ca ,par41 ,canto ,,xxx 7,carey's       
translation74  #cb ,the carla was a kind
 of sacred dance1 in which the dancers  
holding hands move in a circle1 singing 
as they go4 ,it was supposed to be the  
dance of ,paradise4--7,translator's     

note47  #cc ,translation3      ,in      
,paradise that garden lies   ,where love
 divine eternal shines1   ,and holy     
,saints carolas weave1   ,their souls   
inflamed with sacred love4      ,the    
,saints in that bright joyous ring1     
,with ,angels fair of all degrees1      
,before the ,bridegroom graceful move   
,and weave the dance of sacred love4    
,those heavenly courts are full of      
grace1   ,with love immeasurable filled1
   ,all in the dance angelic move       
,inspired by their sweet ,saviour's     
love4      ,their robes of linen pure   
are made1   ,white1 roseate1 and of     
mingled hues2   ,fair garlands on their 
heads they wear1   ,fit crowns to crown 
them priests of love4      ,no head is  
there ungarlanded1   ,and youthful beams
 each joyous face2   ,in that bright    
court refreshed they move   ,where      
everything o'erflows with love4         
,the garlands made of blossoms fair1    
,shine brighter than the purest gold1   
,the pearly daisies glisten there       

,emblazoning the heavenly love4  #cd    
,venturi1 ,le ,gallerie ,italiane4 ,la  
,galleria ,nazionale di ,roma1 vol4     
,,ii1 p4 #hi4  #ce ,see ,gazette de     
,beaux ,arts1 #ahhh4 ,w4 ,bode1 ,la     
,renaissance au ,muse de ,berlin2 ,,iv4 
,les ,peintres ,florentins du ,x,vme    
sicle1 p4 #dgc4  #cf ,cavalcaselle1     
,storia della ,pittura1 ,,ii1 p4 #cfi1  
note #b4 ,venturi thinks that the       
picture approaches more to the art of   
,gentile da ,fabriano4 ,see ,vasari1    
,gentile da ,fabriano e ,pisanello4     
,firenze1 ,sansoni1 #ahig1 p4 x4  #cg   
,vasari1 ,,ii1 ,vita di ,michelozzo1 p4 
#ddj4  #ch ,richa1 ,le ,chiese          
,fiorentine1 ,,vii1 p4 #aag4  #ci ,vol4 
,,ii1 p4 #ddj4 ,in ,october #adch the   
monks demanded a subsidy to rebuild the 
dormitory which had been destroyed by   
fire4 ,gaye1 ,i1 p4 #eec4  #dj ,vol4    
,,ii1 p4 #dda4 ,some chroniclers        
attribute the design of the convent to  
,brunelleschi1 and the direction and    
execution of the work to ,michelozzi4   

,the building was probably completed in 
#addc4  #da ,vasari1 ,,ii1 p4 #dda4  #db
 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #ejh4  #dc ,katalog der 
,gemlde-,sammlung der kgl4 lteren       
,pinakothek in ,mnchen4 ,mit einer      
historischen ,einleitung von ,dr4 ,franz
 von ,reber4  #dd ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #ejg4  
#de ,see ,vasari1 ,,ii1 p4 #ejh1 and    
,marchese1 op4 cit41 ,i1 p4 #cbf and    
following4  #df ,marchese1 ,san ,marco  
illustrato1 p4 #dj4  #dg ,rio1 op4 cit41
 ,,ii4 p4 #cad4  #dh ,cartier1 ,vie de  
,fra ,angelico1 p4 #bca4  #di ,vasari1  
,,ii1 p4 #eaa4  #ej ,marchese1 op4 cit41
 ,i1 p4 #bie4  #ea ,il ,santuario della 
,,ss4 ,annunziata di ,firenze1 ,guida   
storica illustrativa1 compilata da un   
religioso dei servi di ,maria4 ,firenze1
 ,ricci1 #ahgf1 p4 #hg4  #eb ,vasari1   
,,ii1 p4 #eca1 note #b4  #ec ,rio1 ,de  
l'art chrtien1 p4 #cfh4 ,michelozzo     
parat avoir1 dans ce tableau1 de        
quarante-cinq  cinquante ans4 ,or1 on   
suppose qu'il tait n vers #acif1 ce qui 
placerait l'excution de ce tableau      

trs-peu de temps avant le dpart de      
l'artiste pour ,rome1 en #adde1 p4 #cab1
 note i4  #ed ,rio1 op4 cit41 ,,ii1 p4  
#cah et seq4  #ee ,rio1 op4 cit1 ,,ii1  
p4 #cae4  #ef ,richa1 ,le ,chiese       
,fiorentine1 ,x1 pp4 #acg-ach4  #eg     
,vasari1 ,,ii1 p4 #eaf4  #eh ,vasari1   
,,ii1 p4 #eag4  #ei ,vasari1 ,,ii1 p4   
#eag4  #fj ,luigi ,fumi1 ,il duomo d'   
,orvieto e i suoi restauri4 ,roma1      
,tipografia ,cooperativa1 p4 #cgj4  #fa 
,storia della ,pittura ,italiana1 ,,iii1
 p4 #hc4  #fb ,mntz1 ,les ,arts  la cour
 des ,papes4 ,premire partie1 p4 #ib4   
#fc ,prat1 ,les ,papes et les ,arts4    
,paris1 ,didot1 #ahie1 p4 #gb4 ,mntz1   
,histoire de l',art pendant la          
,renaissance1 ,i1 p4 #ffd1 and ,m4      
,faucon1 ,l',o,euvre de ,fra ,angelico  
,rome in the ,newspaper ,l',art1 #ahhc1 
,,xxxv1 pp4 #ada-adg and #afg-age4  #fd 
,crowe and ,cavalcaselle1 ,a new history
 of painting in ,italy4 ,london1        
,murray1 #ahfd1 ,,ii1 p4 #ejj4          
,,index ,,to ,,the ,,illustrations4     

,the ,annunciation 7,convent of ,san    
,marco1 ,florence7       ,frontispiece  
,angels of the ,last ,judgment          
,page #e and #bh  ,history of ,st4      
,dominic's ,life                        
#cb  ,the ,resurrection of ,cardinal    
,de' ,ceccani's ,nephew                 
#cc  ,death of ,st4 ,dominic            
#cd  ,the ,annunciation 7,church of     
,ges1 ,cortona7                         
#ce  ,the ,marriage of the ,virgin      
7,cortona7                              
#da  ,the ,marriage of the ,virgin      
7,uffizi ,gallery1 ,florence7           
#da  ,the ,visitation                   
#db  ,adoration of the ,magi            
#dc  ,adoration of the ,magi 7,uffizi   
,gallery1 ,florence7                    
#dd  ,the ,death of the ,virgin         
7,cortona7                              
#de  ,the ,death of the ,virgin 7,uffizi
 ,gallery1 ,florence7                #de
  ,virgin and ,child with ,saints       
7,church of ,san ,domenico1 ,cortona7   
#dg  ,madonna and ,child 7,pinacoteca1  

,perugia7                           #di 
,birth1 ,preaching and ,miracles of ,st4
 ,nicholas 7,vatican1 ,rome7     #ea    
,the ,death of ,st4 ,nicholas           
7,pinacoteca1 ,perugia7                 
#eb  ,virgin of the ,annunciation       
7,pinacoteca1 ,perugia7                 
#ed  ,view of the ,convent of ,san      
,domenico near ,fiesole                 
#eg  ,coronation of the ,virgin 7,san   
,marco1 ,florence7                      
#ei  ,madonna della ,stella 7of the     
,star7 7,san ,marco1 ,florence7         
#fa  ,the ,annunciation and the         
,adoration of the ,magi   7,san ,marco1 
,florence7                              
#fc  ,predella 7,national ,gallery1     
,london7                                
#fi  ,the ,coronation of the ,virgin    
7,museum of the   ,louvre1 ,paris7      
,to face page #gb  ,the ,coronation of  
the ,virgin 7,uffizi   ,gallery1        
,florence7                              
,to face page #ge  ,the ,last ,judgment 
7,ancient and ,modern   ,gallery1       

,florence7                              
,to face page #gg  ,the ,dance of the   
,blessed 7,details from   the ,last     
,judgment7                              
,to face page #ha  ,the ,last ,judgment 
7,rome1 ,national ,gallery7             
#hd  ,the ,last ,judgment 7,berlin      
,museum7                                
#he  ,the ,virgin of the ,linen         
,weavers' ,guild 7,uffizi ,gallery1     
,florence7 #hg  ,angels with musical    
instruments from the ,tabernacle   of   
the ,linen ,weavers' ,guild             
#hh and #hi  ,st4 ,mark                 
#ij  ,st4 ,john ,baptist                
#ij  ,the ,cloister of ,san ,marco      
#ig  ,madonna and ,child with ,angels   
and ,saints 7,ancient and ,modern       
,gallery1 ,florence7                    
#aja  ,christ on the ,cross             
#aje  ,st4 ,peter martyr                
#ajh  ,christ issuing from the sepulchre
                                #aji    
,christ in pilgrim's dress              
#aaa  ,the ,crucifixion 7,san ,marco1   

,florence7               ,to face page  
#aab  ,the ,annunciation                
#aaf  ,noli me tangere                  
#aag  ,the ,transfiguration             
#aah  ,the ,risen ,christ               
#aai  ,the ,institution of the ,holy    
,sacrament                              
#abj  ,the ,presentation in the ,temple 
#aba  ,coronation of the ,virgin        
#abb  ,the ,prayer in the ,garden       
#abc  ,adoration of the ,magi           
#abd  ,the ,crucifixion                 
#abe  ,the ,virgin enthroned amidst     
,saints                                 
#abf  ,st4 ,dominic1 from the fresco of 
,christ at the ,pretorium        #abi   
,the ,descent from the ,cross 7,ancient 
and ,modern ,gallery7                   
,to face page #acc  ,view of ,florence  
#acc  ,the dead ,christ                 
#acg  ,flight into ,egypt               
#adb  ,christ betrayed by ,judas        
#add  ,the ,resurrection of ,lazarus    
#add  ,the ,slaughter of the ,innocents 
#ade  ,entombment of ,christ            

#ade  ,coronation of the ,virgin        
#adf  ,the symbolic ,wheel              
#adg  ,the ,madonna and ,child with     
,saints 7,annalena ,convent7            
#adh  ,the ,madonna and ,child with     
,angels and ,saints 7,from the ,convent 
of the ,osservanza7                     
#adi  ,the ,last ,supper                
#aec  ,christ in ,judgment 7,orvieto1   
,cathedral7                             
#aeg  ,the ,prophets 7,orvieto1         
,cathedral7                             
#afa  ,the ,preaching and ,justification
 of ,st4 ,stephen 7,vatican1 ,rome7     
#afg  ,st4 ,laurence ordained deacon    
7,vatican1 ,rome7        ,to face page  
#afg  ,sixtus ,,ii4 consigns the church 
treasures to ,st4 ,laurence   7,vatican1
 ,rome7                                 
,to face page #afi  ,the distribution of
 alms 7,vatican1 ,rome7            ,to  
face page #aga  ,st4 ,bonaventure       
7,vatican1 ,rome7                       
#aga  ,judgment of ,st4 ,laurence       
7,vatican1 ,rome7            ,to face   

page #agc  ,illustration