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20. The Virgin of Humility, c. 1436–1438. Tempera on wood panel, 74 × 61 cm. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

21. Bernardo Daddi, The Virgin and Child in Majesty Surrounded by Angels and Saints (San Pancrazio polyptych), 1336–1340.Tempera on wood panel, central panel 165 × 85 cm. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

On January 22, 1414, Cardinal Dominici solemnly joined the Council of Constance, and on July 4, he presided, as Pope Gregory XII’s delegate, at the Council’s opening. Gregory XII’s abdication and the election of Martin V put an end to the schism that had divided the Church, and also ended the exile of Fra Giovanni del Mugello and his fellow Dominican friars from Fiesole. The energetic intervention of the influential Cardinal Dominici caused the Bishop of Fiesole to return the convent he had taken from the Dominicans.

In 1418, the Dominicans joyously returned to their cherished home, where Fra Angelico would spend the next 18 years of his life. The monastery had been built on the mountainside where the Etruscans once founded ancient Fiesole, a picturesque site that dominated the Arno valley. In Roman times, new inhabitants established themselves on the plain. Florence grew imperceptibly until the time of Fra Angelico, the height of its power. This prosperity was due to Cosimo de’Medici, who was given the title of “Founding Father” by the town council. An imposing cathedral was erected in the centre of Florence and was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV.

Beginning in 1421, Brunelleschi worked on its dome, and in 1439 the monument was witness to the solemnities of the great Council of the Union. Next to the cathedral, a bell tower started by Giotto in 1334 was finished with a colourful three-dimensional decoration. Before the bell tower stands the ancient baptistry. Its marvelous North Doors were started in 1403 by Ghiberti, and the third and most beautiful set of doors had been under construction since 1425 (The Gate of Paradise). Inside the church, Donatello collaborated with Michelozzo on the monumental tomb erected by Cosimo de’ Medici in memory of Pope John XXII, who died in 1419.

Behind the cathedral, and dominating the countryside, rose the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, begun by la Signoria. In 1432, Michelozzo built a magnificently ornamented, colonnaded courtyard in the donjon-crowned Palazzo.

Situated between the Cathedral and the Palazzo Vecchio, the Or san Michele Chapel (St Michael in Orto) was finished in 1412. At that time, the facade of this edifice was decorated with a series of slightly larger than life-sized statues of the patron saints of the town’s guilds. These superb statues were the work of the sculptors Donatello, Ghiberti, and Michelozzo. Around 1350, Andrea Orcagna and his colleague Bernardo Daddi erected inside the chapel a precious marble altar topped by a ciborium.

From his convent in Fiesole, Fra Angelico could see Florence’s Santa Maria Novella, a church with three naves begun in 1278 by the Preaching Friars Fra Sisto and Fra Ristoro, known as the best Italian architects of their time. On more than one occasion, Fra Angelico must have prayed in the Rucellai family chapel before the great Madonna by Cimabue (The Santa Trinità Madonna) that was carried and triumphantly placed this sanctuary, to the people’s acclaim, in 1280. In the chapel across the transept, that of the rich Strozzi family, he must have frequently felt enlightened at the sight of the fresco painted by Giotto’s disciples. He not only studied these paintings, but also borrowed many images from them, especially from the paintings of Paradise and Hell, created by Andrea and Bernardo Orcagna in the middle of the fourteenth century (the altarpiece Christ in Glory Among the Saints or The Last Judgment).

In the church’s Chiostro Verde (green cloister) the primitively fresh colouring and intense effect sought by Angelico can be seen in the green camaieu murals of scenes from the Old Testament. In the Spanish chapel (Capellone degli Spanguoli) are found the resplendent riches and brilliant colours of works depicting the Passion and Glorification of Christ, the Legends of Saint Dominic, and Saint Peter Martyr, as well as “The Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas.” These works must have spoken to the heart of the young monk. It is possible that Simone Martini painted part of these paintings around 1330, but they probably interested Angelico less, for they already show the influence of the same movement that Lorenzetti (Presentation in the Temple) followed with his allegories painted in Siena. The young Angelico had no taste for passionate and bustling scenes, clashing contrasts, and spiritual allusions. The exact representation of men, the material things of daily life, and terrestrial struggles and agitation did not interest him. A sincerely religious painter, he wished, above all, to remain faithful to the teachings of Lorenzo de Ripaffata, an associate of Dominici who instructed Angelico during his novitiate. Angelico found his inspiration in meditation, his pious familiarity with prayer, in Christ, Mary, and the locally venerated saints. His best and most emotional works were conceived during his contemplation. It was for this reason that he loved to meditate upon the celebrated and reputedly miraculous image of the Visitation in the church of the Holy Annunciation, Santissima Annunziata. He felt attracted to this painting by a deep love for the Mother of God that conformed to the spirit of the Dominican order. His most beautiful paintings are devoted to Mary.

To the left of the Duomo, the young artist witnessed the construction of Santa Croce, the powerful church of the Franciscan Order. Started for the Franciscans by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1294, it was not finished until 1442. In its chapels, Giotto painted the Coronation of the Virgin, the lives of the two Saint Johns, and the Legend of Saint Francis, (The Legend of Saint Francis, Saint Francis Preaching to Pope Honorius III). Bernardo Daddi, Taddeo and Agnolo Gaddi decorated three other chapels in Santa Croce with frescoes. Even today, what remains of these partially destroyed and faded paintings seizes the viewer with the beauty of their lines, the simplicity of their composition, and the gentle harmony of their colouring.

22. Cenni di Pepo, known as Cimabue, The Santa Trinità Madonna, c. 1280. Tempera on wood panel, 385 × 223 cm. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

23. Giotto di Bondone, Maestà (The Madonna of Ognissanti), 1305–1310. Tempera on wood panel, 325 × 204 cm. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

The smaller part of Florence was built across the Arno on its left bank. Here was found the large church of the Carmelites, Santa Maria del Carmine. In its cloister and chapel of the Brancacci family are paintings once attributed to Masolino and his student Masaccio (1423 and 1428), but which are probably the work of Masaccio alone, (Saint Peter Healing the Cripple and Tabitha Resurrected, and The Tribute Money).

If Masolino really had a hand in part of these paintings, Fra Angelico would have surely paid him a visit during his work, for it is believed that like Masolino, Fra Angelico was a student of Gherardo Starnina († after 1406, Florence). It seems equally probable that he would have seen Masaccio at work, although Angelico was more successful in capturing the essence of saintliness and was less preoccupied than Masaccio by external reality, the appearance of life, and perspective. Behind Santa Maria del Carmine rises a hill, whose summit is crowned by the scintillating marble edifice of Italy’s most elegant Romanesque monument, San Miniato al Monte. Its three naves are divided by twelve columns partially composed of ancient materials and are covered by an exposed-beam construction whose twelfth century decorative painting is unique. In the sacristy, Spinello Aretino painted eight paired compositions showing a series of bustling and dramatic groups from the life of Saint Benedict. The same artist decorated the Dominican Farmacia de Santa Maria Novella with frescoes depicting the story of the Passion, and was even called to Siena for other work. Aretino’s mysticism is so similar to that of Fra Angelico, that Angelico must have known Aretino’s work and captured the intimate emotion that reigns over it.

In the beautiful Gothic church of Santa Trinità built around 1250 by Nicolo Pisano on the right bank of the Arno, Fra Giovanni surely contemplated with genuine love, the altarpiece of the Bartholini Chapel, painted by Don Lorenzo Monaco († 1425), “the most beautiful and best-preserved altarpiece” by this monk of the Camaldolese order. An intimate friendship attached him to Fra Angelico. The old Camaldolese monk was more related to Giotto and his school than the young Fra Angelico, who, despite his mystical tendencies, was passionate about a more living art and revealed himself to me more apt in taking advantage of the progress made by his contemporaries. To be convinced of this, it suffices to follow the artist and his work. As in Cortona, Fra Giovanni must have given the first fruits of his labour in Fiesole to his convent. On one of the refectory walls he painted a life-sized Crucifixion with the figures of the Virgin and Saint Dominic, (The Calvary).

24. The Blessed Dominicans, 1423–1424. Tempera on wood panel, 31.8 × 21.9 cm. The National Gallery, London.

25. The Blessed Dominicans, 1423–1424. Tempera on wood panel, 31.6 × 21.9 cm. The National Gallery, London.

According to Marchese, the figure of Saint Dominic, kneeling at the foot of the Cross seems to have been added later. The painting was “restored” in 1566 by Francesco Mariani. His contemporaries applauded this restoration, seeing it as an improvement. Later critics revised this judgment. Following contemporary tastes, the restorer wanted to give more relief to the contours and replaced the delicate nuances of the original work with vigorous hues.

When the French Revolution caused the monks to flee, the refectory was turned into an orangery, to the noticeable detriment of the paintings. Recently, the Calvary was sold for the price of 40,000 francs, (others say 50,000 liras), detached from the wall, and transported to the Louvre in Paris. A second fresco, (Madonna and Child with Saints Dominic and Thomas Acquinas) once found in the chapter room of the same convent met the same fate. This time, it was a Russian of quality who bought the work for 46,00 liras. Although it suffered considerably due to a restoration undertaken in the 1840’s, this painting can be counted among the master’s best works. Like the Perugia Altarpiece, it pictures the Infant Jesus standing on the knees of Mary, a veil only covering him very lightly. Next to the Mother of God, Saint Dominic and Saint Thomas Aquinas hold open books. The simplicity of the subject brought the painter to treat each detail with particular care. Rarely did Angelico put more expression into the faces, or more accuracy in his drawing. Unfortunately, some parts of the draperies and the lower portion of the painting show damage from humidity and clumsy retouching.

The Coronation of the Virgin, painted for the convent of San Domenico da Fiesole, was taken away in 1812, and has remained in the Louvre. An Annunciation from the convent was sold in 1611 for the sum of 1,500 ducats and a copy of the work. The copy is currently found in the Franciscan church at Monte-Carlo near San Giovanni di Valdarno, while the original is thought to be in Madrid. The painting created for the main altar of San Domenico in Fiesole (San Domenico Altarpiece, The Virgin Enthroned with Eight Angels between Saints Thomas Acquinas, Barnabas, Dominic, and Peter Martyr) was modified in 1501 by Lorenzo di Credi. The figurines which ornamented the two pilasters on each side of the central panel were sold along with the predella to Nicola Tacchinardi of Rome, who in turn sold them to Valentini, the Prussian consul to Rome. The predella shows Christ rising to Heaven and holding the banner of the Resurrection surrounded by more than 250 patriarchs, prophets, and saints from the New Testament. Today, this painting is one of the jewels in the collection of the National Gallery in London (Illustration 1, 2, 3) The predella was replaced in Fiesole with a poor copy. The main panel of the altarpiece shows the Holy Virgin enthroned between the prince of the Apostles and Saint Thomas Aquinas on one side, and Saint Dominic and Saint Peter Martyr on the other. Adoring angels surround the divine Infant.

26. Ambrogio Lorenzetti, The Presentation in the Temple, 1327–1332. Tempera on wood panel, 257 × 138 cm. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

27. Agnolo Gaddi, The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels, Saint Benedict, Saint Peter, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Minias. Tempera on wood panel, 222 × 290 cm. Palazzo Pitti, Florence.

The Louvre also possesses a painting from San Girolamo di Fiesole (Villa Ricasoli), which was first sold to the Marquise Campana in 1852. Many connoisseurs attribute this work to Fra Angelico, a claim contested by many. Here again, the Holy Virgin is enthroned and flanked by six saints.

After painting the altarpiece in Cortona for the Dominican friars in Perugia, Angelico surely could not resist the insistence of the Dominicans of Santa Maria Novella. It was the Florentine Fra Giovanni Massi († 1430) who, having gained Angelico’s affection through his exemplary piety and love of silence, was charged with expressing his community’s desire to own one of master Fra Giovanni Angelico’s admirable creations. Masi owned many saintly relics for which he commissioned four little shrines to be placed on the altar. The four small shrines were in the form of the period’s altarpieces, were 42–60 cm high, and 25–29 cm wide, and crowned by pointed arches (ogives). Fra Angelico decorated these reliquaries with paintings. One of them is lost, and the three others were religiously conserved at Santa Maria Novella for four centuries. During the last despoilment of Italy’s convents, they were transported to the Museo di San Marco. The first of these reliquaries, is ornamented with a Coronation of the Virgin, and its predella, an Adoration of the Christ Child, shows ten characters presented as half-figures. To the two sides of the scene, the artist painted standing angels, while six other angels dance around Mary, the Infant, and Saint Joseph.

The second reliquary is divided into two parts, and shows The Annunciation above and The Adoration of the Magi below. In the predella on the pedestal, the Madonna is surrounded by saints, the majority of whom are martyr saints whose relics are kept inside the reliquary. The third reliquary’s (Madonna and Child, also known as “Madonna della Stella“) sculpture is more elaborate than the others, and is framed by twisted columns supporting an ogee arch ornamented with rich and elegant foliage. The gilded pedestal is decorated with ornamentation reminiscent of filigree, and the half-figures of Saint Dominic, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Saint Peter Martyr. These saints are probably pictured because Giovanni Masi had placed their relics in this reliquary. The upper part of the reliquary shows Mary, filled with devotion, love and tenderness. She holds the Christ Child, who is covered in a long robe, in her right arm, pressing his small face against her cheek. In the lower part of the frame are vases of flowers between two angel musicians. Above them are two angels with censers, and above these, four cherubs in adoration before the Infant Jesus. The bust of the celestial Father surrounded by clouds is painted in the peak of the arch. The second two reliquaries are superior to the first, and are ravishing in their tiny proportions. They have been remarkably conserved, which has spared them from being retouched. They are examples of a consummate art, the work of a master capable of filling the smallest frame with scenes composed of many characters, with grandiose and celestial imagery.

A decorated Easter candle painted by Fra Giovanni for Fra Masi, perhaps depicting the Resurrection, has been lost. His frescoes at Santa Maria Novella showing Saint Dominic, Saint Catherine of Siena, and Saint Peter Martyr, as well as the smaller works painted in the Chapel of the Coronation of the Holy Virgin, were destroyed during the course of alterations to the church’s structure. Many paintings created by Giotto’s students were also lost during this period.

In 1433, Fra Giovanni painted the renowned Madonna with angel musicians (Linaiuoli triptych, pp.58, 198) for the hemp merchants’ guild. During the same period, he finished three paintings for the Carthusian monks in Florence: an Enthroned Madonna Surrounded by Saints Lawrence, Mary Magdalene, Zenobius, Benedict, and a Choir of Angels; another Madonna with Two Saints, singled out by Vasari for the beauty of the ultramarine blue which Angelico used painting it; and a Coronation of the Virgin.

The painting for the monks of San Pietro, today found in the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, must be dated before 1436, along with the banner of the Compagnia di Santa Maria della Croce al Tempio, the tertiary order of the Dominicans. The principal subject of this work is the Deploration of Christ. In 1786, it was placed in the Accademia delle Belle Arti, today known as the Galleria Antica e Moderna. The same gallery owns an important work from this period, The Santa Trinità Altarpiece. This painting comes from the church of Santa Trinità in Florence, which belongs to the Vallumbrosan Order. Since it was Don Lorenzo Monaco († 1425) who painted the three scenes in the tympanums (the Resurrection, The Three Marys’ at Christ’s Tomb, and Christ’s Apparition Before Mary Magdalene) the date of Fra Angelico’s admirable panel must be pushed forward to 1425 at the latest. This work was not finished just before 1445, as Rio and Förster assure. Rio’s claim of seeing the portrait of the architect Michelozzo in this painting is completely discredited by this revised date.

Three inscriptions on the lower edge of the frame declare the painter’s intentions. The middle section reads, “Estimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum,” “I was among those who descended into the pit.” (Psalms 87:5)

According to the most competent critics, the body of Christ is admirably rendered and still shows the signs of his suffering and cruel treatment, while conserving all of its beauty. Thanks to the hands supporting him, he almost escapes death’s rigidity. He forms a diagonal line in front of the cross. Nicodemus holds him in his hands, and his feet descend to Mary Magdalene. Kneeling on the earth, she stretches to receive them, devotedly lifting her head to kiss Christ’s feet, her hands covered by a transparent veil. A second diagonal line is formed by the arms of the holy body and the placement of Joseph of Arimathea, who stands on a ladder facing Nicodemus. He still holds Christ’s arms, but is about to let them go. Saint John holds Christ’s sacred body. In the foreground below kneels a young man wearing a crown. He beats his chest and seems to say, “He died for me, for my sins.” Two men, visible between Mary Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathea, hold the body of Christ from behind to help Nicodemus and Saint John, letting their precious burden gently slide to the ground. Though the viewer is conscious of the weight and inertia of the dead body, it does not lose any of its dignity. It is not the laws of gravity, of push and pull that prevail in this ensemble, but rather the tender care attending to the sanctuary of divinity. The ground is not a sterile wasteland, littered with the abandoned bones of corruption, but is covered by buds and flowers, for the blood of Jesus Christ has atoned the Earth of its sins. Only the mountains in the background are still arid and denuded, for the good news has not yet spread across the land.

28. The Martyrdom of Saints Cosmas and Damian, c.1440. Tempera on wood panel, 37.3 × 41.6 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

29. Saint Stephen Preaching and Saint Stephen Addressing the Sanhedrins, 1447–1449. Fresco. Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican.

30. The Death of Saint Francis (predella), 1428–1429. Oil on poplar panel, 29 × 70 cm. Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.

The choice of colours, their hues and distribution is implemented with great care. Mary Magdalene and the man kneeling across from her wear red. The body of Christ, in amber highlights bordering on brown, harmonises perfectly with the cinnabar of Mary Magdalene’s gown. Saint John, as well as the two men visible between Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathea, wear blue. The clothing of Nicodemus, as well as the tunic beneath Joseph’s robe across from him, is a pure purple. Joseph’s outer robe is a somber green, and completes the symphony of colours in the upper part of the painting, echoing the jewel-like flowers in the grass below the cross. It should be kept in mind that the general appearance of the painting lost some of its intensity after a restoration undertaken by Francesco Acciai in 1841. Nevertheless, the harmony of the whole remains excellent.

The female saints are grouped together to the right. Mary raises her almost contorted hands, her expression veiled with sadness, waiting for the mortal body of her son to be placed in her lap. She kneels near Magdalene who respectfully touches the Savior’s holy feet. As can be seen in the illustration, the group occupied in taking Jesus from the cross creates a downward movement towards Mary. The fact that the place she is seated is slightly elevated and that the other women saints, divided into two groups, are standing, creates a difference of level between the Holy Mother and the other saints, and clearly marks the movement toward Mary. Two women hold out the shroud destined to receive the holy, Crucified body. One of them, seen standing in a corner enveloped in an ample violet cloak that exposes only her profile, seems particularly beautiful and expressive. The inscription on this side perfectly expresses the sadness that fills the women, “Plangent eum quasi unigenitum, quia inocens,” “They mourn him like a firstborn, for, innocent, he was immolated.” (Zacharias, 12:10)

31. Masolino da Panicale, Death of the Virgin, 1428. Tempera on wood panel, 19.7 × 48.4 cm. Pinacoteca, Vatican.

The inscription to the left reads, “Ecce quomodo moritur justus, et nemo percepit corde.” (Isaiah 57:1) The words, “See how the just dies,” seem to come from the character, clearly of high standing, who raises the crown of thorns in his right hand, and shows two long and sharp nails to an old man with his left hand. Two spectators in the depths of the painting contemplate the body of the holy Victim with sadness.

The background of the landscape, trees and buildings, are treated summarily, naively perhaps, but with the necessary care and detail. The fading of the tints in the distance could have been better graduated, more shrouded in shadow, but as they are, the distant planes of the landscape throw the principal groups of the composition into harmonious relief. The sense of unity is emphasized by the groups of three angels to each side who hover above the men and women, weeping and relating to their pain. In this painting, as in his other works, Fra Angelico conforms to the Italian tastes of his time by decorating each side of the frame with three full length figures and the busts of two saints, among them Saint Michael, Saint Peter, and Saint Louis of Toulouse. Saint Dominic and Saint John Gualbert, represent the two Orders (Dominican and Vallumbrosan) who worked in brotherhood in the service of the same Master.

32. The Calvary, c. 1440–1445. Fresco, 435 × 260 cm (restored in 1566 by Francesco Mariani). Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Förster rightly remarks that, of all the old Italian painters, Fra Giovanni Angelico is perhaps the last that one would expect to successfully surmount the difficulties of the theme he treats in this painting: the feat of painting the drama of the descent from the cross, emphasizing at once the material weight of the body and the bitter pain of the characters in the scene. Yet, the artist, his temperament so removed from a naturalist outlook, victoriously accomplishes this task. His Deposition from the Cross is superior to the others painted before, and even afterwards, including Daniele da Volterra’s famous frecoes in Trinità dei Monti. In his work, Angelico manages to surpass his natural lyricism to achieve all of the drama’s expressive power. Without weighing us down with the physical energy expended in the scene, he arrestingly places us in the middle of its dramatic action. While making us witness to great suffering, he tempers this suffering with the sublime and expressive beauty. The presence of greatness and saintliness is so striking that any feeling of pain eventually melts into reconciliation and resigned sadness. To this can be added the sweet and lifelike movement, the intense pain without softness, and in such a way that contemplating the work appeases and calms the soul.

The clarity of its motives, the beauty of its lines, the harmony of its oppositions, and the subtle transitions emphasize this impression.[10] Montalembert remarks, “The day that Fra Angelico painted this, he must have felt such an overabundant love of God, such immense and ardent contrition. How he must have meditated and wept on the suffering of our divine Master in the depths of his cell! Each brushstroke, each emphasized line seems filled with the regret and love from the depths of his soul. What poignant preaching from a painting! Where others see just a work of art, I sense I have drawn ineffable consolations and profound instruction.”[11]

The master’s merits are even more striking if one compares this Deposition from the Cross with the Deploration of Christ of the Brotherhood of Santa Croce del Tempio, (The Deploration of Christ), mentioned earlier in this chapter. In the earlier work he still seems to follow the path of Giotto’s oldest disciples. In the Deposition from the Cross of Santa Trinità however, he innovates by establishing a happy equilibrium between what seem to be mutually exclusive qualities: the truthful imitation of nature, the rules of balance, and the expression of faith. In the earlier painting Christ’s lifeless body is stiff and immobile; in the later painting it is the object of multiple actions rendering it movement. In the earlier painting there is one group of figures and one feeling expressed; in the later work of art there are three groups showing many different actions and expressions. In The Deploration of Christ of Santa Croce del Tempio the cross rises vertically, its crossbar touching the upper edge of the frame. The city wall extending in the distance seems to correspond with the monotony of a single grouping. The three groups in The Deposition from the Cross of Santa Trinità call for a varied background. In the two works, Mary Magdalene kisses Christ’s feet, but the crown of thorns and nails abandoned on the ground in one are the object of religious devotion in the other. The way in which the men show and contemplate them clearly reveals what they are saying. In The Deploration of Santa Croce del Tempio nearly everybody is kneeling or seated, in The Deposition of Santa Trinità the figures are found in a variety of positions. In the following chapter, we will discuss The Deposition and Lamentations of San Marco.

33. Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven (predella of the altarpiece of San Domenico in Fiesole), 1423–1424. Tempera on wood panel, 31.7 × 73 cm. The National Gallery, London.

34. Madonna and Child with Saints Dominic and Thomas Aquinas, 1424–1430. Fresco, 196 × 187 cm. The State Hermitage Museum, St Peterburg.

The same subject is treated with more simplicity in the thirty-five compositions painted on eight panels that formed the doors of the treasury at the Santissima Annunziata in Florence (Illustration) which are found today in the Galleria dell’Accademia. Rio dates this work after 1450 due to the portrait of Michelozzi that he claims to see. The generally shared opinion is that these panels were painted in Fiesole, and therefore before 1436. The best paintings in this group are: The Annunciation, The Adoration of the Magi, The Flight into Egypt, The Resurrection of Lazarus, The Payment of Judas, The Prayer in Gethsemane, and Christ at the Column. The panel showing The Marriage at Cana, The Baptism of Christ, and The Transfiguration, cannot be considered the work of Fra Angelico. Even The Deposition, The Ascension, and The Last Judgment should probably be attributed to his students, though the entire cycle forms an ensemble.

The border of each of these paintings shows a text from the Old Testament above and a text from the Gospels below. The influence of the tradition that inspired “The Poor Man’s Bible” (Biblia Pauperum) is visible in these paintings, and it would be useful to briefly examine them and their inscriptions from the point of view of Christian iconography.

1. A sort of preface, this composition represents faith’s written sources and brings together ancient prototypes. Three concentric circles are painted in a square frame. This layout results in four sections: the area outside of the circles and a large wheel enclosing a second smaller wheel. Inside the smaller wheel are the authors of the New Testament: the four Apostles who wrote the Epistles holding banners upon which texts are written, and between them, the four Evangelists. Each of the Evangelists holds a book to his chest, and has his evangelical symbol in the place of his head. In the larger wheel, Angelico painted twelve authors of the Old Testament. At the top is Moses between David and King Solomon, followed by the four “major Prophets” and five of the “minor Prophets”. Jonas is characterised by a fish he holds in his hand. In the bottom corners outside of the wheels are Ezekiel to the left, and Saint Gregory the Great to the right. Between them spreads a banner, which reads Flumen Chobar, for it was on the banks of the Chobar River that the prophet Ezekiel saw the four evangelical animals. In the upper corners of the painting are texts taken from the Book of Ezekiel (1:4) and the homilies of Saint Gregory on Ekekiel’s vision. (See Hom. 2 et 3 in Ezechiel, Opoera ed. Cong. S. Mauri, 1705, I.)

35. Madonna and Child, Angels and Saints Thomas Aquinas, Barnabas, Dominic and Peter Martyr (triptych of Fiesole), c. 1426. Tempera on wood panel, 212 × 237 cm. San Domenico, Fiesole.

36. Zanobi Strozzi (attributed to), Adoration of the Magi, c.1433–1434. Tempera on poplar panel, 19 × 47.4 cm. The National Gallery, London.

37. Saint Mark and Saint Peter (shutters closed of the Linaiuoli triptych), 1433. Tempera on wood panel, 260 × 330 cm. Museo di San Marco, Florence.

2. The cycle itself truly begins with the Annunciation. Mary and the angel kneel on the ground. The Angel, drawn rather dryly, has striped wings. The perspective in this place where the mystery is carried out is clearly indicated by the view through the open door in the centre of the composition.

3. Mary and Joseph kneel before the Christ Child. In the background, an ox and an ass seem to look on, poking their heads through the doorway. The shepherds can be seen approaching from the right, while above, six kneeling angels sing praises to God the Father with their gazes fixed heavenwards.

4. With extremely characteristic imagery, the Circumcision shows the fulfillment of the law.

5. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple. This scene takes place in a temple with a Gothic styled central section, and Renaissance architecture to the sides. In the centre of the composition, Simeon holds the swaddled Christ. Mary extends her arms, for she passed Christ to Simeon only to take him back again. Behind her, Joseph approaches with doves, while behind Simeon, Anne stands with her hands clasped together.

6. The Magi accompanied by a considerable entourage. They adore the Christ Child before a thatched cottage, and one of the Magi kisses Christ’s feet.

7. The Flight into Egypt. This painting in the style of Giotto is impressive for its clarity and the simplicity of its lines, though the Virgin on a donkey’s back is poorly rendered. Joseph walks behind her holding a canteen and a basket of provisions in the manner that rural Italians still go off to work today. Angelico’s attempt to differentiate between the various types of trees merits notice.

8. Massacre of the Innocents. The mothers’ intense pain contrasts with the calm of the soldiers. One soldier lets a woman scratch his face without resistance. Another mother, half-kneeling, throws her hands in the air, mourning her dead child, whose corpse leans against her. A third flees, screaming with her mouth wide open. Other women seek salvation through flight, while one of them is stretched out on the ground alongside her child’s corpse.

9. Jesus calmly seated amongst the doctors. To the left are Mary and Joseph. Mary calls to her son. Here again, the architecture is Gothic, whereas the typical architecture in Angelico’s paintings is early Renaissance.

38. The Annunciation and The Adoration of the Magi (superior part of the reliquary); Madonna Surrounded by the Saints (pedestal) whose relics are found in the reliquary, before 1434. Tempera and gold on wood panel, 84 × 50 cm. Museo di San Marco, Florence.

39. Virgin and Child (Madonna della Stella) (shrine containing the relics of the Saints Dominic, Thomas Aquinas, and Peter Martyr), 1434. Tempera on wood panel, 84 × 51 cm. Museo di San Marco, Florence.

10. The Marriage at Cana. Two men are seated at a table next to the groom, along with Mary and Jesus. Jesus extends his hand towards the jugs on the table into which a serving man is pouring water. The texts written on the frame read, “Haurietis aquam et vertetur in sanguinem,” (Exodus 4) “Vox Domini intonuit super aguas.” (Psalm 18)

11. At the Baptism, all of the characters have long curls. “Descendit et lavit se septies in Jordane.” (III Kings) “Venit Jesus et baptizatus est a Joanne in Jordane.” (Mark 1:9)

12. The Transfiguration. “Et repleta erat gloria domus Domini.” Ezech. XLIII c. (Ezekiel 43) “ Transfiguratus est ante eos.” Matth. XVII c. (Matthew 17)

13. In this cycle of Christ’s public life, only the Resurrection of Lazarus and the Transfiguration are pictured. Here, there is a beautiful contrast between the Jew who holds his nose because the corpse “already stinks,” and the sisters piously kneeling before the Lord, oblivious to the miracle being carried out. The apostles are astonished to see Lazarus approaching with his hands clasped together. Two different acts are represented simultaneously with infinite artfulness and without any apparent contradiction. “Educam vos de sepulcris, populus meus.” (Ezekiel 37)

14. Jesus entering Jerusalem. Christ, astride a donkey, raises his right hand to bless the onlookers. The Apostles follow him, holding palm fronds, while the Jews, also carrying palms, precede Jesus. One Jew lays his cloak on the ground before the Messiah. (Zacharias 9:9)

15. At the Last Supper, Jesus is seated at a table with eleven of his disciples, one of whom brings a plate of food. “Agnum eiusdem anni immaculatum faciet sacrificium.” Ezech. XLVI c. (Ezekiel 44) “Paraverunt Pascha et cum esset hora discubuit Jesus et duodecim discipuli.” (Luke 22)

16. Eleven Apostles are seated in a circle, and the twelfth brings them water. In the centre, Jesus kneels before Peter, who makes a gesture of denial. One of the Apostles, seated in the foreground, unties the laces of his shoe, while another removes his hose. Most of them contemplate their Master with a surprised expression on their faces. (Isaias 1:16)

17. In the depths of the Cenacle, a deep and vaulted hall supported by two columns, six Apostles can be seen seated behind a long table. The others have risen from their stools, but many of them are still before the table. Three of them kneel before the wall at the left, three others to the right. The Savior stands before the Apostles to the right to give them the consecrated Host.

18. A pharisee pays Judas, who still wears a halo, extending his hand with the promised silver. Six terrified and astonished Jews look on. This is a beautiful painting, full of characteristic figures. “Appenderunt mercedem meam triginta argenteos.” (Zacharias 11) “Quid vultis mihi dare et ego tradam illum. At illi constituerunt ei XXX argenteos.”. (Matthew 27)

40. The Deposition (altarpiece of Santa Trinità at Florence, the three scenes in the tympanums have been depicted by Lorenzo Monaco), c. 1437–1440. Tempera on wood panel, 176 × 185 cm. Museo di San Marco, Florence.

41. Rogier van der Weyden, Deposition from the Cross, c. 1435. Oil on wood panel, 220 × 262 cm. Museo del Prado, Madrid.

19. A Christ of reduced proportions prays in the depths of the Garden of Gethsemane. An angel approaches and three Apostles of larger proportions sleep in the foreground. (Isaias 41:10); (Luke 22:43)

20. Judas kisses Christ. To his right stand three Apostles, while the Pharisees and soldiers lie on the ground. (Psalms 40:10); (Matthew 26:49)

21. Jesus is arrested. Peter tranquilly cuts off the ear of Malchus, an action accomplished without drama. (Ezekiel 3:25); (Matthew 26:57)

22. The Savior stands before Caiaphus with calm dignity. (Micheas 5:1); (John 18:22)

23. The Flagellation of Christ. Christ is beaten with rods by two men, with no spectators, in a room whose ceiling is supported by a single column. Christ, full of pain and patience, looks at his torturers. “Ego in flagella paratus sum et dolor meus in conspectu tuo semper.” (Psalm 37)

24. Jesus, seated and surrounded by four torturers, is beaten and mocked. Three servants look on, while two men stand outside the door. Here, Christ’s blindfold is not transparent. (Isaias 50:6)

25. Jesus carrying his cross turns towards Mary who is kept from approaching him by two executioners. Two other executioners walk ahead of Christ.

26. Jesus’ clothes are taken by two Roman soldiers, who share them. There is little movement in this composition. (Isaias 53:7); (John 19:17)

27. Jesus, dead on the cross. Mary, John, and three women weep to his right. Three soldiers, kneel, worshiping the Lord, while five Pharisees and soldiers look on with emotion. No taunting takes place; no enemies are present. Two men, holding lance and sponge, stand contemplating near the cross. A deep and painful peace rules over the entire composition. “It is finished.”

28. Jesus advances on a cloud towards Limbo. Satan lies crushed by the knocked down door. Adam and Eve, clothed, advance towards the Redeemer, followed by Abraham, David and others. A. CVI, 14; (Apocalypse 5:9)

29. The body of Christ, lies before the sepulcher and is surrounded by seven women and three men. In the foreground can be seen the nails and the crown of thorns resting on a piece of cloth. A sad calm fills this work. (Isaias 11:10); (Luke 23:53).

30. Five women approach the tomb of Christ. Two of them look into the mausoleum and see an angel sitting. Three other women stand slightly behind them.

31. The Ascension. Only the edge of Christ’s robes is visible in the upper part of this painting as He rises to Heaven. In the lower part of the work, the Virgin Mary and the eleven apostles kneel in a circle. Two angels stand to the sides. (Psalms 17:11); (Mark 16:19).

32. The Pentecost. The Virgin is seated inside of a house surrounded by twelve apostles and thirteen disciples, with only the busts of the figures visible. Two groups of men are in front of the house, one group of two, and one group of three. (Joel 2:28); (Acts 2:4).

33. In the centre of the composition, Christ places a crown on his holy Mother’s head. Angels and saints who fill the foreground surround them. Most of them direct their gazes beyond the scene. The grouping is a bit crowded, and the figures do not possess the desired life or variety. Only the group in the centre is excellent. The inscriptions do not seem to have a connection with the scene. “Vidi Dominum sedentem super solium et elevatum et plena domus maiestate eius.” (Isaias 6) “Ecce tabernaculum Dei cum hominibus et habitavit cum eis et ipsi populus eius erunt et ipse Deus eorum.” (Apocalypse 21).

34. The Last Judgment. See Chapter 5

35. The last picture closes the cycle and corresponds with the first. Where the first painting depicted the sources of God’s written word, this painting illustrates the Apostle’s Creed and the Seven Sacraments. In the lower part of the painting is a seven-branched candlestick symbolizing the Old Testament set in a field of colourful flowers. Seven banners with the seven Sacraments written upon them emerge from the candlestick. Each of these banners is found between two texts related to the particular Sacrament, one taken from the Old Testament, and one taken from the New Testament. To the left, the church is portrayed by the figure of a woman holding an open book. Above the banners and emerging from the candelabra in the centre of the composition is a cross. Around this cross winds a strip of cloth upon which are written twelve words, each of which is connected to one of the articles from the Apostles’ Creed (the Credo). The Apostles themselves can be seen to the right, each holding a banner with one of the articles of the Credo. To the left, are twelve of the prophets with similar banners, upon which are written texts that correspond to each of the Credo’s articles (Illustration).

42. The Lamentation over the Dead Christ (altarpiece of Santa Croce del Tiempo), 1436–1441. Tempera on wood panel, 105 × 164 cm. Museo di San Marco, Florence.

43. Nine of the thirty-five paintings on panels for the doors of the Silver Treasury (Armadio degli Argenti) of Santissima Annunziata in Florence (detail), c. 1450. Tempera on wood panel, each painting: 39 × 39 cm. Museo di San Marco, Florence.

44. The Law of Love (Lex Amoris) (the last of the thirty-five paintings for the Silver Treasury of Santissima Annunziata), c. 1450. Tempera on wood panel, 39 × 39 cm. Museo di San Marco, Florence.