In his Lives of the Artists, Giorgio Vasari called the Domincan friar Giovanni da Fiesole, "pictor angelicus", the angelic painter. Known for his personal piety and for the psychological and physcial realism of his paintings of religious subjects, Fra Angelico (as he came to be known) was a remarkably talented and prolific artist.
Born in a small town north of Florence at the end of the fourteenth century (ca. 1395), he took his vows at the monastery of San Domenico in Fiesole around 1418. He was trained in the Gothic style of painting and influenced by the illumination and gold work of Northern Europe.
Fra Angelico's cultural and artistic style had much in common with the great Renaissance sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti (whose glorious Baptistry doors we'll see in Florence), and the two collaborated on the gorgeous Linaiuoli Altarpiece (now in the Museo San Marco in Florence). He and Ghiberti both championed a balanced and intelligent reform of art, focusing on solutions that would reconcile the old and the new: the Late Gothic style imported from France and the rigorous use of perspective and modeling used by Donatello and Masaccio, combined with a minute attention to detail, especially of nature.
In 1438, Fra Angelico moved to the convent of San Marco in Florence and was assigned the task of painting the altarpiece for the high altar of the church and of painting frescoes in each of the friars' tiny cells. Today, this lovely convent is a museum and Teresa and I consider a visit to the cloisters and the cells a must-see.
Among the many wonderful paintings is a particularly famous Annunciation, located on the second floor.(Click on the picture for a bigger view). This lovely fresco depicts the scene as taking place 
under a portico which greatly resembles the cloister of the convent. The portico faces a walled garden filled with flowers, a symbol of Mary's virginity, and the simplicity of the architectural style reflect Mary's emotions as she accepts the news of her impending motherhood with some astonishment, but also serene composure and deep humility. The outspread wings of the sweet faced angel are brilliantly colored and spotted with gold flecks. The atmosphere is solemn, peaceful, and extremely tranquil.
Although Fra Angelico went on to produce many, many lovely paintings both in Florence and in Rome, this simple fresco has become one of his best known and best loved works.
Fra Angelico died in 1455 and was beatified (a step on the way to sainthood) by the Vatican in 1984. Our Tastes of Tuscany Tour includes a visit to the lovely Museum of San Marco. We hope you will join us!
