The Musée Condé – in English, the Condé Museum – is a French museum located inside the Château de Chantilly in Chantilly , Oise , 40 km north of Paris . In 1897, Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale , son of Louis Philippe I , bequeathed the château and its collections to the Institut de France . It included rooms remodeled as museum spaces and those left as residential quarters in the styles of the 18th and 19th centuries.
71-501: The collection of old master paintings is among the most important in France. It consists predominantly of Italian and French works and includes three paintings by Fra Angelico , three by Raphael , five by Nicolas Poussin , four by Antoine Watteau and five signed by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres . The museum harbors a collection of 2,500 drawings and a library including 1,500 manuscripts, of which 200 are illuminated . The most renowned of
142-610: A cell reserved for himself at the friary so that he might retreat from the world . It was, writes Vasari, at Cosimo's urging that Fra Angelico set about the task of decorating the convent, including the magnificent fresco of the Chapter House, the much reproduced Annunciation at the top of the stairs leading to the cells, the Maesta (or Coronation of the Madonna) with Saints (cell 9), and many other devotional frescoes, smaller in format but of
213-638: A century earlier with the works of Giotto and several of his contemporaries, notably Giusto de' Menabuoi . Both had created their major works in Padua , though Giotto had been trained in Florence by the great Gothic artist, Cimabue . He had painted a fresco cycle of St Francis in the Bardi Chapel in the Basilica di Santa Croce . Giotto had many enthusiastic followers, imitating his style in fresco . Some of them, notably
284-545: A few moves of the convents where he lived, this did little to constrain his artistic output, which rapidly acquired a reputation. According to Vasari , his first paintings were an altarpiece and a painted screen for the Charterhouse (Carthusian monastery) of Florence . Nothing remains of these today. From 1408 to 1418, Fra Angelico was at the Dominican friary of Cortona , where he painted frescoes, mostly now destroyed, in
355-468: A fresco which matches in size and shape of the single round-headed window beside it. The frescoes are apparently for contemplative purposes. They have a pale, serene, unearthly beauty. Many of Fra Angelico's finest and most reproduced works are among them. There are, particularly in the inner row of cells, some of the less inspiring quality and of the more repetitive subject, perhaps completed by assistants. Many pictures include Dominican saints as witnesses of
426-547: A large Crucifixion scene with many saints for the Chapter House . As with the other frescoes, the wealthy patronage did not influence the Friar's artistic expression with displays of wealth. Masaccio ventured into perspective with his creation of a realistically painted niche at Santa Maria Novella . Subsequently, Fra Angelico demonstrated an understanding of linear perspective particularly in his Annunciation paintings set inside
497-507: A large altarpiece painted in 1439 for Fra Angelico's monastery at San Marco, which was later split up by Napoleon 's army. While the centre section is still at the monastery, the other six small panels are in German and US museums. These two panels were presumed lost forever. The Italian Government had hoped to purchase them but they were outbid at auction on 20 April 2007 by a private collector for £1.7M. Both panels are now restored and exhibited in
568-658: A loose structure of leadership and oversight. Later the mendicant orders such as the Carmelites , the Order of Friars Minor , the Order of Preachers , the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and the Order of Saint Augustine formed. These Mendicant orders did not hold property for their Religious Communities, instead begging for alms and going where they were needed. Their leadership structure included each member, as opposed to each Abbey or House, as subject to their direct superior. In
639-464: A marriage invalid, except in the cases in which the Holy See directed otherwise. Thus members of orders were barred absolutely from marriage, and any marriage they attempted was invalid. Those who made simple vows were obliged not to marry, but if they did break their vow, the marriage was considered valid. Another difference was that a professed religious of solemn vows lost the right to own property and
710-493: A reasonable request to renounce their property except for what would be required for their sustenance if they were to depart. These changes resulted in a further blurring of the previously clear distinction between orders and congregations, since institutes that were founded as congregations began to have some members who had all three solemn vows or had members that took a solemn vow of poverty and simple vows of chastity and obedience. The current 1983 Code of Canon Law maintains
781-523: A religious confraternity or guild at the Carmine Church, still under the name Guido di Pietro. This record indicates that he was already a painter, as is evident from two records of payment to Guido di Pietro in January and February 1418, for work done in the church of Santo Stefano del Ponte. The first record of Angelico as a friar dates from 1423, the first reference to Fra Giovanni (Friar John), following
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#1732851162714852-589: A religious conviction that, because his paintings were divinely inspired, they should retain their original form. He was wont to say that he who illustrates the acts of Christ should be with Christ. It is averred that he never handled a brush without fervent prayer and he wept when he painted a Crucifixion. The Last Judgment and the Annunciation were two of the subjects he most frequently treated. Pope John Paul II beatified Fra Angelico on 3 October 1982, and in 1984 declared him patron of Catholic artists. Angelico
923-564: A remarkable luminous quality, depicting aspects of the Life of Christ that adorn the walls of each cell. In 1439 Fra Angelico completed one of his most famous works, the San Marco Altarpiece at Florence. It broke new ground. Not unusual had been images of the enthroned Madonna and Child surrounded by saints, the custom was that the setting looked heaven-like, saints and angels hovering as ethereal presences rather than earthly substance. But in
994-702: A type of religious institute . Subcategories of religious orders are: Catholic religious orders began as early as the 500s, with the Order of Saint Benedict being formed in 529. The earliest orders include the Cistercians (1098), the Premonstratensians (1120), the Poor Clares founded by Francis of Assisi (1212), and the Benedictine reform movements of Cluny (1216). These orders were confederations of independent abbeys and priories, who were unified through
1065-518: Is a colloquialism. A religious order is characterized by an authority structure where a superior general has jurisdiction over the order's dependent communities. An exception is the Order of Saint Benedict which is not a religious order in this technical sense, because it has a system of independent houses, meaning that each abbey is autonomous. However, the constitutions governing the order's global independent houses and its distinct Benedictine congregations (of which there are twenty) were approved by
1136-487: Is called Beato Angelico (Blessed Angelic One); the common English name Fra Angelico means the "Angelic friar". In 1982, Pope John Paul II beatified him in recognition of the holiness of his life, thereby making the title of "Blessed" official. Fiesole is sometimes misinterpreted as being part of his formal name, but it was merely the town where he had taken his vows as a Dominican friar , and would have been used by contemporaries to distinguish him from others with
1207-516: Is dull green and the black and white of Dominican robes. There is nothing lavish, nothing to distract from the spiritual experiences of the humble people who are depicted within the frescoes. Each one has the effect of bringing an incident of the life of Christ into the presence of the viewer. They are like windows into a parallel world. These frescoes remain a powerful witness to the piety of the man who created them. Vasari relates that Cosimo de' Medici seeing these works, inspired Fra Angelico to create
1278-462: Is enshrined the glory, the mirror, and the ornament of painters, John the Florentine. A religious and a true servant of God, he was a brother of the holy Order of Saint Dominic. His disciples mourn the death of such a great master, for who will find another brush like his? His homeland and his order mourn the death of a distinguished painter, who had no equal in his art." Inside a Renaissance style niche
1349-566: Is found in the 1964 edition of the Annuario Pontificio , pp. 807–870, where the heading is "States of Perfection (of pontifical right for men)". In the 1969 edition the heading is "Religious and Secular institutes of Pontifical Right for Men", a form it kept until 1975. Since 1976, when work was already advanced on revising the Code of Canon Law, the list has been qualified as "historical-juridical". The list of religious institutes for women in
1420-538: Is the painter's relief in Dominican habit. A second epitaph reads: "Here lies the venerable painter Brother John of the Order of Preachers. May I be praised not because I looked like another Apelles, but because I have offered to you, O Christ, all my wealth. For some, their works survive on earth; for others in heaven. The city of Florence gave birth to me, John." The English writer and critic William Michael Rossetti wrote of
1491-403: Is the solidity, three-dimensionality and naturalism of the figures and the realistic way in which their garments hang or drape around them. Even though it is clouds these figures stand upon, and not the earth, they do so with weight. The series of frescoes that Fra Angelico painted for the Dominican friars at San Marcos realise the advancements made by Masaccio and carry them further. Away from
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#17328511627141562-663: The San Marco Altarpiece , the saints stand squarely within the space, grouped in a natural way as if conversing about their shared witness of the Virgin in glory. This fresh genre, Sacred Conversations , was to underlie major commissions of Giovanni Bellini , Perugino and Raphael . In 1445 Pope Eugene IV summoned him to Rome to paint the frescoes of the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament at St Peter's , later demolished by Pope Paul III . Vasari suggests this might have been when Fra Angelico
1633-486: The Coronation of the Virgin , painted for the Florentine church of Santa Maria Novella , are all the elements that a very expensive altarpiece of the 14th century was expected to provide; a precisely tooled gold ground , much azure, and much vermilion. The workmanship of the gilded haloes and gold-edged robes is exquisite and all very Gothic. What makes this a Renaissance painting, as against Gentile da Fabriano's masterpiece,
1704-612: The Journey of the Magi , painted in the Medici 's private chapel at their palazzo . Through Fra Angelico's pupil Benozzo Gozzoli's careful portraiture and technical expertise in the art of fresco we see a link to Domenico Ghirlandaio , who in turn painted extensive schemes for the wealthy patrons of Florence, and through Ghirlandaio to his pupil Michelangelo and the High Renaissance. Apart from
1775-499: The Lorenzetti , achieved great success. If not a monastic establishment, the patron was most usually, as part of a church's endowment, a family with wealth. To maximally advertise this (wealth) favoured subjects where religious devotion would be most focused, an altarpiece for instance. The wealthier the benefactor, the more the style would seem a throwback, compared with a freer and more nuanced style then in vogue. Underpinning this
1846-522: The 1960s then bequeathed them to her when he died. Preston, an expert medievalist, recognised them as being high-quality Florentine renaissance, but did not realize that they were works by Fra Angelico until they were identified in 2005 by Michael Liversidge of Bristol University. There was almost no demand at all for medieval art during the 1960s and no dealers showed any interest, so Preston's father bought them almost as an afterthought along with some manuscripts. The paintings are two of eight side panels of
1917-792: The Confederated Canons Regular of Saint Augustine. And the Cistercians are in thirteen congregations, each headed by an abbot general or an abbot president, but do not use the title of abbot primate. The Annuario Pontificio presents the list of male religious institutes in an Elenco Storio-Giuridico di Precedenza ("Historical-juridical list of precedence"). This list gives priority to certain types of institutes: Orders (divided into Canons Regular, monastics, mendicant orders, clerics regular), clerical religious congregations, lay religious congregations, Eastern religious congregations, secular institutes , societies of apostolic life . The list
1988-811: The Dominican Church, and may have been assistant to Gherardo Starnina , or a follower of his. Between 1418 and 1436 he was back in Fiesole, where he executed a number of frescoes for the church and the Fiesole Altarpiece . This was allowed to deteriorate, but has since been restored. A predella of the altarpiece remains intact and is conserved in the National Gallery, London ; a great example of Fra Angelico's genius. It shows Christ in Glory surrounded by more than 250 figures, including beatified Dominicans. This period saw
2059-504: The Pope himself, while departments of the Holy See and superiors specially delegated by it could dispense from simple religious vows. The 1917 Code maintained a juridical distinction by declaring invalid any marriage attempted by solemnly professed religious or by those with simple vows to which the Holy See had attached the effect of invalidating marriage, while stating that no simple vow rendered
2130-607: The San Marco Museum in Florence. Religious order (Catholic) Jus novum ( c. 1140 -1563) Jus novissimum ( c. 1563 -1918) Jus codicis (1918-present) Other Sacraments Sacramentals Sacred places Sacred times Supra-diocesan/eparchal structures Particular churches Juridic persons Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law Clerics Office Juridic and physical persons Associations of
2201-401: The art of Giotto . Few painters in Florence saw his sturdy, lifelike and emotional figures and were not affected by them. His work partner was an older painter, Masolino , of the same generation as Fra Angelico. Masaccio died at 27, leaving the work unfinished. The works of Fra Angelico reveal elements that are both conservatively Gothic and progressively Renaissance . In the altarpiece of
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2272-400: The artistic descendant of Fra Angelico. Frederick Hartt describes Fra Angelico as "prophetic of the mysticism" of painters such as Rembrandt , El Greco and Zurbarán . Unknown Rome Cortona Fiesole Florence, Basilica di San Marco Florence, Santa Trinita Florence, Santa Maria degli Angeli Florence, Santa Maria Novella Each cell is decorated with
2343-408: The bishop rather than to the religious superior, and the vow of poverty was modified to meet the new situation but the expelled religious "could not, for example, will any goods to another; and goods which came to him reverted at his death to his institute or to the Holy See". The former 1917 Code of Canon Law reserved the term religious order for institutes in which the vows were solemn, and used
2414-597: The brilliance of colour and gold that one sees in the most lavish creations of the Gothic painter Simone Martini at the Lower Church of St Francis of Assisi, a hundred years earlier. Yet Fra Angelico has succeeded in creating designs which continue to reveal his own preoccupation with humanity, with humility and with piety. The figures, in their lavish gilded robes, have the sweetness and gentleness for which his works are famous. According to Vasari: In their bearing and expression,
2485-560: The capacity to acquire temporal goods for themselves, but a professed religious of simple vows, while being prohibited by the vow of poverty from using and administering property, kept ownership and the right to acquire more, unless the constitutions of the religious institute explicitly stated the contrary. After publication of the 1917 Code, many institutes with simple vows appealed to the Holy See for permission to make solemn vows. The Apostolic Constitution Sponsa Christi of 21 November 1950 made access to that permission easier for nuns (in
2556-437: The cells of San'Marco, Fra Angelico had demonstrated that painterly skill and the artist's personal interpretation were sufficient to create memorable works of art, without the expensive trappings of blue and gold. In the use of the unadorned fresco technique, the clear bright pastel colours, the careful arrangement of a few significant figures and the skillful use of expression, motion and gesture, Michelangelo showed himself to be
2627-464: The complexity of design, number of figures, elaboration of detail and skilful use of gold leaf. Above these works stood a row of painted Popes in brilliant brocades and gold tiaras. None of these splendours have any place in the work which Michelangelo created. Michelangelo, when asked by Pope Julius II to ornament the robes of the Apostles in the usual way, responded that they were very poor men. Within
2698-431: The constraints of wealthy clients and the limitations of panel painting, Fra Angelico was able to express his deep reverence for his God and his knowledge and love of humanity. The meditational frescoes in the cells of the convent have a quieting quality about them. They are humble works in simple colours. There is more mauvish pink than there is red, and the brilliant and expensive blue is almost totally lacking. In its place
2769-445: The custom of those entering one of the older religious orders of taking a new name. He was a member of the convent of Fiesole . The Dominican Order is one of the medieval mendicant Orders . Mendicants generally lived not from the income of estates but from begging or donations. Fra , a contraction of frater (Latin for 'brother'), is a conventional title for a mendicant friar. According to Vasari, Fra Angelico's initial training
2840-459: The distinction according to which solemn vows, unlike simple vows, were indissoluble. It recognized no totally indispensable religious vows and thereby abrogated for the Latin Church the special consecration that distinguished orders from congregations, while keeping some juridical distinctions. In practice, even before 1917 dispensations from solemn religious vows were being obtained by grant of
2911-428: The distinction between solemn and simple vows, but no longer makes any distinction between their juridical effects, including the distinction between orders and congregations. Instead, it uses the single term religious institute to designate all such institutes. While solemn vows once meant those taken in what was called a religious order, "today, in order to know when a vow is solemn it will be necessary to refer to
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2982-406: The distinction. Solemn vows were originally considered indissoluble. As noted below, dispensations began to be granted in later times, but originally not even the Pope could dispense from them. If for a just cause a member of a religious order was expelled, the vow of chastity remained unchanged and so rendered invalid any attempt at marriage, the vow of obedience obliged in relation, generally, to
3053-593: The exhibition spaces not be modified in any way. As a result, the museum remains almost unchanged since it was opened in 1898. About 250,000 visitors come to the museum each year. Also in the museum's collection is the Chantilly codex (MS 564), the primary manuscript of ars subtilior music. 49°11′38″N 2°29′07″E / 49.19389°N 2.48528°E / 49.19389; 2.48528 Fra Angelico Fra Angelico , O.P. (born Guido di Pietro ; c. 1395 – 18 February 1455)
3124-524: The faithful Pars dynamica (trial procedure) Canonization Election of the Roman Pontiff Academic degrees Journals and Professional Societies Faculties of canon law Canonists Institute of consecrated life Society of apostolic life In the Catholic Church , a religious order is a community of consecrated life with members that profess solemn vows . They are classed as
3195-430: The friar: From various accounts of Fra Angelico's life, it is possible to gain some sense of why he was deserving of canonization. He led the devout and ascetic life of a Dominican friar, and never rose above that rank; he followed the dictates of the order in caring for the poor; he was always good-humored. All of his many paintings were of divine subjects, and it seems that he never altered or retouched them, perhaps from
3266-517: The impression of a jewel box. From 1449 until 1452, Fra Angelico was back at his old convent of Fiesole, where he was the Prior. In 1455, Fra Angelico died while staying at a Dominican convent in Rome, perhaps on an order to work on Pope Nicholas' chapel. He was buried in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva . When singing my praise, don't liken my talents to those of Apelles . Say, rather, that, in
3337-532: The latter are the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry . In addition to these, there are collections of prints, portrait miniatures, sculptures, antiques, old photographs, decorative arts, furniture and porcelain. The collection may only be seen at Chantilly due to the conditions attached to the bequest by the Duke d'Aumale. These conditions forbid the loaning of artworks to other institutions as well as insisting that
3408-521: The lineal connection, superficially there may seem little to link the humble priest with his sweetly pretty Madonnas and timeless Crucifixions to the dynamic expressions of Michelangelo's larger-than-life creations. But both these artists received their most important commissions from the wealthiest and most powerful of all patrons, the Vatican. When Michelangelo took up the Sistine Chapel commission, he
3479-586: The name of Christ, I gave all I had to the poor. The deeds that count on Earth are not the ones that count in Heaven. I, Giovanni, am the flower of Tuscany. Apelles (see main article) was a highly renowned painter of Ancient Greece , whose output, now completely lost, is thought to have centred chronologically around 330 BCE. On display near the main altar is a marble tombstone, an exceptional honour for an artist at that time. Two epitaphs were written, probably by Lorenzo Valla . The first reads: "In this place
3550-458: The newly built convent or friary of San Marco in Florence. This propitious move, placing him at the heart of artistic life of the region, attracted the backing of Cosimo de' Medici . He was one of the wealthiest and most powerful members of the city's governing authority (or "Signoria"), and founder of the dynasty that was set to dominate Florentine politics for much of the Renaissance. Cosimo had
3621-623: The painting of some of his masterpieces, including a version of The Madonna of Humility . This is well preserved and the property of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum , on loan to the MNAC of Barcelona. Also completed at this time were an Annunciation and a Madonna of the Pomegranate , at the Prado Museum . In 1436, Fra Angelico was one of a number of the friars from Fiesole who moved to
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#17328511627143692-499: The past, what distinguished religious orders from other institutes was the classification of the vows that the members took as solemn vows. According to this criterion, the last religious order founded was that of the Bethlehemite Brothers in 1673. Nevertheless, in the course of the 20th century, some religious institutes outside the category of orders obtained permission to make solemn vows, at least of poverty, thus blurring
3763-420: The patron's importance. This, however, constrained the overall style to that of an earlier generation. Thus, the impression left by altarpieces was more conservative than that achieved by frescoes. These, in contrast, were frequently of almost life-sized figures. To gain effect, they could capitalise on an up-to-date stage-set quality rather than having to fall back upon a lavish, but dated, display. Fra Angelico
3834-658: The pope. Likewise, according to rank and authority, the abbot primate 's "position with regard to the other abbots [throughout the world] is to be understood rather from the analogy of a primate in a hierarchy than from that of the general of an order like the Dominicans and the Jesuits ". The Canons Regular of Saint Augustine are in a situation similar to that of the Benedictines. They are organized in eight congregations, each headed by an abbot general, but also have an Abbot Primate of
3905-431: The proper law of the institutes of consecrated life ." The Annuario Pontificio continues to distinguish between ordini (orders) and Congregazioni Religiose Clericali ("clerical religious congregations"). Some other authors use the terms religious order and religious institute as synonyms; canon lawyer Nicholas Cafardi, commenting on the fact that the canonical term is religious institute, write that religious order
3976-421: The saints painted by Fra Angelico come nearer to the truth than the figures done by any other artist. It is probable that much of the actual painting was done by his assistants to his design. Both Benozzo Gozzoli and Gentile da Fabriano were highly accomplished painters. Benozzo took his art further towards the fully developed Renaissance style with his expressive and lifelike portraits in his masterpiece depicting
4047-591: The same forename, Giovanni. He is commemorated by the current Roman Martyrology on 18 February, the date of his death in 1455. There the Latin text reads Beatus Ioannes Faesulanus, cognomento Angelicus —"Blessed John of Fiesole, surnamed 'the Angelic'". Vasari wrote of Fra Angelico that "it is impossible to bestow too much praise on this holy father, who was so humble and modest in all that he did and said and whose pictures were painted with such facility and piety." Fra Angelico
4118-615: The scene each in one of the nine traditional prayer postures depicted in De Modo Orandi . The friar using the cell could place himself in the scene. Orvieto Cathedral Three segments of the ceiling in the Cappella Nuova, with the assistance of Benozzo Gozzoli. Niccoline Chapel The Chapel of Pope Nicholas V, at the Vatican , was probably painted with much assistance from Benozzo Gozzoli and Gentile da Fabriano. The entire surface of
4189-409: The sort of arcades that Michelozzo and Brunelleschi created at San' Marco's and the square in front of it. When Fra Angelico and his assistants went to the Vatican to decorate the chapel of Pope Nicholas, the artist was again confronted with the need to please the very wealthiest of clients. In consequence, walking into the small chapel is like stepping into a jewel box. The walls are decked with
4260-466: The strict sense), though not for religious institutes dedicated to apostolic activity. Many of these latter institutes of women then petitioned for the solemn vow of poverty alone. Towards the end of the Second Vatican Council , superiors general of clerical institutes and abbots president of monastic congregations were authorized to permit, for a just cause, their subjects of simple vows who made
4331-526: The term religious congregation (or simply congregation) for institutes with simple vows . The members of a religious order for men were called regulars, those belonging to a religious congregation were simply religious , a term that applied also to regulars. For women, those with simple vows were called religious sisters , with the term nun reserved in canon law for those who belonged to an institute of solemn vows, even if in some localities they were allowed to take simple vows instead. However, it abolished
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#17328511627144402-512: The wall and ceiling is sumptuously painted. There is much gold leaf for borders and decoration, and a great use of brilliant blue made from lapis lazuli . Worldwide press coverage reported in November 2006 that two missing masterpieces by Fra Angelico had turned up, having hung in the spare room of the late Jean Preston, in her terrace house in Oxford , England. Her father had bought them for £100 each in
4473-661: Was a Dominican friar and Italian Renaissance painter of the Early Renaissance , described by Giorgio Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent". He earned his reputation primarily for the series of frescoes he made for his own friary, San Marco , in Florence , then worked in Rome and other cities. All his known work is of religious subjects. He was known to contemporaries as Fra Giovanni da Fiesole (Friar John of Fiesole ) and Fra Giovanni Angelico (Angelic Brother John). In modern Italian he
4544-567: Was as an illuminator , possibly working with his older brother Benedetto , also a Dominican and an illuminator. The former Dominican convent of San Marco in Florence, now a state museum, holds several manuscripts thought to be entirely or partly by his hand. The painter Lorenzo Monaco may have contributed to his art training; the influence of the Sienese school is discernible in his work. He trained also with master Varricho in Milan Despite quite
4615-513: Was born Guido di Pietro in the hamlet of Rupecanina in the Tuscan area of Mugello near Fiesole , not far from Florence , towards the end of the 14th century. Nothing is known of his parents. He was baptised Guido. As a child, he was probably known, as was the Italian fashion, as Guidolino ("Little Guido"). The earliest recorded document concerning Fra Angelico dates from 17 October 1417, when he joined
4686-741: Was in Orvieto with his pupil, Benozzo Gozzoli , executing works for the Cathedral . Among his other pupils were Zanobi Strozzi . From 1447 to 1449 Fra Angelico was back at the Vatican, designing the frescoes for the Niccoline Chapel for Nicholas V. The scenes from the lives of the two martyred deacons of the Early Christian Church, St. Stephen and St. Lawrence may have been executed wholly or in part by assistants. The small chapel, with its brightly frescoed walls and gold leaf decorations gives
4757-567: Was offered the Archbishopric of Florence by Pope Nicholas V , to turn it down, recommending instead another friar. The story seems possible, and even likely. However, the detail does not tally. In 1445 the pope was Eugene IV . Nicholas was not to be elected until 6 March 1447. The archbishop in question during 1446–1459 was the Dominican Antoninus of Florence (Antonio Pierozzi), canonised by Pope Adrian VI in 1523. In 1447 Fra Angelico
4828-468: Was reported to say "He who does Christ's work must stay with Christ always". This motto earned him the epithet "Blessed Angelico", because of the perfect integrity of his life and the almost divine beauty of the images he painted, to a superlative extent those of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fra Angelico was working at a time when the style of painting was in a state of flux. This transformation had begun
4899-414: Was that a commissioned painting said something about its sponsor: the more gold leaf , the more prestige accrued. Other precious materials in the paint-box were lapis lazuli and vermilion . Paints from these colours lent themselve poorly to a tonal treatment. The azure blue made of powdered lapis lazuli had to be applied flat. As with gold leaf, it was left to the depth and brilliance of colour to announce
4970-619: Was the contemporary of Gentile da Fabriano . Gentile's altarpiece of the Adoration of the Magi , 1423, in the Uffizi is regarded as one of the greatest works of the style known as International Gothic . At the time it was painted, another young artist, known as Masaccio , was working on the frescoes for the Brancacci Chapel at the church of the Carmine. Masaccio had fully grasped the implications of
5041-451: Was working within a space that had already been extensively decorated by other artists. Around the walls the Life of Christ and Life of Moses were depicted by a range of artists including his teacher Ghirlandaio , Raphael 's teacher Perugino and Botticelli . They were works of large scale and exactly the sort of lavish treatment to be expected in a Vatican commission, vying with each other in
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