Look at The Annunciation by Fra Beato Angelico. Compare the old Russian icon "Ustyug Annunciation" with a fresco by an Italian artist. Unlike the ancient Russian icon painter, he provides an opportunity to look more closely at numerous artistic details. Of course, our eyes will be attracted by the multi-colored and bright iridescent wings of the archangel Gabriel, which are more reminiscent of the wings of tropical birds or butterflies. And behind him is a true paradise! It is filled with exotic plants.
Look at how exquisite the range of transparent silver-blue, lilac and ocher colors, with which the flowers on the lawn are written! One gets the impression that the artist for some time generally forgets about the main event: he is so captivated by the beauty and charm of the surrounding nature. He invites the audience to admire with him the extraordinary flowers, a beautiful garden behind a fence that separates the Divine world from the vain, earthly world. And how magnificent are the columns of the loggia, under the arches of which Maria modestly sat down on a small bench. She, prayerfully folded her hands on her chest, listens with quiet joy to the words of the Divine Messenger.
Yes, this work cannot fail to enchant us with its poetry, the artist's delight in the fragile beauty of life. It seems that the poet said about this picture Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilyov in a poem "Fra Beato Angelico":material from the site
On everything that my master has made, the seal Earthly love and humble simplicity. Oh yes, he could not draw everything, But what he drew is absolutely...On this page, material on the topics:
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Description of the painting the annunciation by frabiato angelico
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Description of the painting the annunciation by fra beato angelico
Gumilyov fra beato angelico about which picture the poem was written
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Cortona altarpiece (1433-34. Diocesano Museum, Cortona)
This altar in its original frame comes from the church of Saint Dominic in Cortona. The likely commissioner of this work was Giovanni di Cola di Cenno, a merchant from Cortona, who built a chapel dedicated to the Annunciation in the church.
Annunciation. OK. 1433-34. Tempera, wood. 175 x 180 cm Diocesano Museum, Cortona (Diocesan Museum of Cortona)
This work is a repetition of the main panel of the Prado Altarpiece with a more refined architectural layout: bisected by a column, there is a scene of the Expulsion from Paradise and a lower register of the gospel scenes (Betrothal of Mary, Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, Adoration of the Magi). Differences - Adam and Eve are at the top, below the horizon of the picture and are barely visible in garden of paradise; gospel scenes are not separated by clear vertical divisions.
Annunciation. Central panel
The Annunciation of Cortona is Angelico's first undisputed masterpiece and one of greatest achievements Florentine Quattrocento. The scene takes place in a loggia, bounded on both sides by graceful columns, and at the back by a wall with a blank arcade. The bowed angel, raising his index finger, calls for attention, while his mouth pronounces the message: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." On the right, Mary, with her arms crossed on her chest, leaning slightly forward, listens to the words of the Gospel of Luke, which are inscribed in gold letters on the surface of the picture: “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." A golden dove hovers over the head of the Madonna. The angel depicted in profile occupies most of the canvas. Its richly painted wings extend beyond the edge of the colonnade, their upper ends marking the center of the painting. Behind them, the space of the picture expands into Mary's room and further into a hint of a bedside curtain, which also serves as a backdrop for the halo of St. Gabriel.
Above the portico column separating the archangel and the Virgin Mary, the prophet Isaiah, who predicted the birth of the Mother of God, looks out from the medallion in the bosom of the vault, depicted in the form of a half-length sculptural portrait. To the left is a fenced garden with a symbolic palm tree. In the depths, where the viewer's eye leads the pink cornice of the building, the scene of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise is visible.
In terms of texture, the manner of execution of the figures is richer than in any of the early works artist: for example, the interpretation of the hands of Mary and the wings of an angel - their movement is endowed with wonderful grandeur. The altar from Cortona, with its sense of mystery, delicate coloristic radiance and endearing seriousness, has become the subject of numerous imitations and variations.
Annunciation. Fragment
This fragment depicts the archangel Gabriel, dressed in precious clothes embroidered with gold.
Annunciation. Fragment
Annunciation. Fragment
On the predella in the lower part of the altar, near the extreme corners, there are two scenes. The left one represents the birth of Mary, the far right - Mary gives the habit (monastic robe) to St. Dominic. Between them are five scenes from the life of Mary, one after the other, without division, namely, the Betrothal of Mary, the Visitation of Elizabeth, the Adoration of the Magi, the Bringing into the Temple, the Assumption.
Sometimes the performance of the predella paintings is attributed to Fra Angelico's assistants or to the young Zanobi Strozzi.
Predella (left extreme part). Nativity of Our Lady. Tempera, wood. 23 x 14 cm
According to legend, the elderly couple - Joachim and Anna - did not have children, for which Joachim was expelled from the temple and went to the mountains to the shepherds. There, an archangel appeared to him and predicted the birth of Mary. Joachim and Anna made a vow that if the Lord gave them a child, they would consecrate him to God, and, as was the custom then, give him to the temple to serve until he came of age. And indeed, a year later, on September 8, their daughter was born. There is a tradition that when Mary was six months old, Anna placed her on the ground to see if she could stand. The child took seven steps, then walked back into the mother's arms. Anna decided that her daughter would not walk the earth until she led her into the temple of the Lord.
Predella (1). Mary's betrothal. Tempera, wood. 23 x 183 cm
Maria studied in the temple from the age of three, but upon reaching adulthood, she could not stay at the temple, and a husband was chosen for her, protecting her and respecting her vow of chastity - the elderly Joseph the Betrothed. Joseph was chosen from among the other suitors, as his staff miraculously blossomed.
Predella (2). Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth. Tempera, wood. 23 x 183 cm
Elizabeth was Mary's cousin - Mary's mother Anna was youngest daughter priest Matthan, who had three daughters: Mary, Sophia and Anna. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sophia and the priest Zechariah.
The above fragment depicts the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth. This event is described in the Gospel of Luke. Immediately after the Annunciation, Mary “hurriedly went to the mountainous country, to the city of Judah; and went into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth." Mary and Elizabeth embraced, the straight folds of their robes looking simple and alien to the curvilinear tendencies preached by some of Angelico's contemporary teachers. Elizabeth, six months pregnant with John the Baptist, is dressed in wider garments than Mary. The city of Judah is depicted as a series of simple geometric shapes, directly lit, but somewhat weak and awkward.
Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth. Fragment
A woman keeps her way up the hill along a path in the shade. Behind her, heaven and earth meet in the mist of a Tuscan summer. This is the first landscape identified in Italian art. In the middle of the path is a lake, which no longer exists; in the distance - the city of Florentine Castigniola, and further - the castle of Monterci.
Predella (3). Adoration of the Magi. Tempera, wood. 23 x 183 cm
Even Joseph and Mary with the baby Jesus remained in Bethlehem, as from a distant country from the east came the Magi (scientists who observed and studied the stars), which they saw in the sky new star. The Magi entered the house and saw the Infant Jesus with His Mother. They bowed to Him to the ground and offered Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh (precious fragrant oil). They brought gold to Him as to the King (in the form of tribute or tribute), incense as to God (because incense is used in worship), and myrrh as to a Man who must die (at that time the dead were anointed with oils mixed with fragrant myrrh) .
Predella (4). The bringing of Christ into the temple. Tempera, wood. 23 x 183 cm
The picture tells about the bringing of the baby Jesus to the temple for a cleansing ceremony on the fortieth day after his birth. Mary and Joseph were met by Saint Simeon, who was told that he would not die until he saw Christ, and the old woman Anna, who lived at the temple. Seeing the baby Jesus, Simeon took him in his arms and said: "Now you let your servant go." In this scene, Joseph, Mary, the priest and St. Anne stand in the foreground, the nave of receding columns extending the background behind them. A hint of the outside is made by a door on the left, a round window in the apse, an overhead light high above the nave, and lighting from outside.
Predella (5). Assumption of the Mother of God. Tempera, wood. 23 x 183 cm
It is believed that Mary died in Ephesus 12 years after the ascension of Christ, in the year 48. The apostles managed to gather at the deathbed of the Mother of God from all over the world, with the exception of the Apostle Thomas, who arrived three days later and did not find the Mother of God alive. At his request, her tomb was opened, but there were only fragrant shrouds. Mary's death was followed by her Ascension (according to Orthodox tradition on the third day), and for her soul at the time of death, Jesus Christ himself appeared with a host of heavenly powers. Catholics believe that after the ascension of the Virgin Mary, her coronation took place.
Predella (right side). The Mother of God gives Saint Dominic the habit of the monks. Dominican Order. Tempera, wood. 23 x 14 cm
Altar "Annunciation" (1430s, San Giovanni Valdarno)
The altar is now in the small museum of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Grazie, in the town of San Giovanni Valdarno in Florence. It was written for the monastery of San Francesco Montecarlo, built between 1428 and 1438 (not preserved).
It is possible that this altar was originally painted for the church of San Alessandro in Brescia, but for some reason it was not sent there and remained unfinished. It was completed by Fra Angelico in 1440, already for the monastery of San Francesco.
Annunciation. OK. 1432. Tempera on wood. 195 x 158 cm. Museum of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Grazie, San Giovanni Valdarno. Main panel 149 x 158 cm, predella panels 17 x 26 cm each
The attribution and dating of this work has long been discussed among specialists. It was most often considered the work of Fra Angelico's assistants such as Zanobi Strozzi. The issue was resolved after the restoration of the painting, which was successfully carried out in 1984, it is now considered one of the works of Fra Angelico. The artist from time to time returned to his favorite theme of the angel bringing the Annunciation, and the pious Mary in a submissive pose receiving it. It is the third in a series of Annunciation-themed altarpieces after the Prado and Cortona altarpieces.
The pictorial manner of this panel is closest to the Corton altarpiece. However, unlike the three-part Cortona altar, the panel from Valdarno is two-part - the left part with the image of the biblical garden is missing. To do this, the artist moves the vanishing point from the outside to the inside of the room, focusing the viewer's attention on the Annunciation scene, and depicts the scene in the garden as if visible from the inside through the openings of the arches of the left wall. Like Masolino's Annunciation, the scene is divided in two by the arches of the wall in the foreground, representing a transitional variant between the traditional medieval altar with a spire and the rectangular Renaissance altar. Above, in the medallion between the arches, is the figure of a prophet, looking at Mary and holding a scroll confirming the prophecy in his hand.
Compared to the Cortona altar, the color palette here is brighter, with a whole range of rich, saturated colors - the green of the garden, the pink and gold of the angel's chiton, the blue and red of Mary's robes, the starry sky on the ceiling, the soft pink marble inlay of the floor reflected in the hanging on the walls mirrors. The clothes and pose of the figures of the angel and Mary are similar to the Cortona altar, but the light is worked out more carefully here - if the light source on the Cortona altar is unclear, then on the panel of the Valdarno altar the light source is clearly located on the left, the lighting comes from the garden, which is emphasized by the appropriate study of draperies and folds of clothes . The overall effect, however, is somewhat blurred here. excessive attention to detail, jeopardizing the delicate balance that has been achieved in the Cortona Altar.
Predella presents scenes from the life of the Virgin (Betrothal of Mary, Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, Bringing to the Temple, Assumption of the Virgin). The execution of the predella panels is often attributed to Zanobi Strozzi, a student of Angelico.
During the fascist rule, this altar, among other works Italian art was selected by Hermann Göring to prepare for export to Germany. However, Rodolfo Sivero, art historian and at the same time Italian secret agent, found out about this and, with the help of two monks, hid the canvas, thus preserving it in his homeland.
Altar of San Domenico. "Coronation of Our Lady" (1430-32. Louvre, Paris)
The altarpiece now in the Louvre, along with seven predella paintings, was made for the church of San Domenico in Fiesole, and is one of the most famous works Fra Angelico. Vasari considered it the best of the three altarpieces painted by Fra Angelico for the church of San Domenico. This is a brilliant example of the artist's tempera art, its fresh colors have not changed over time.
The altar "Coronation of Our Lady" was located at the altar partition on the right. The main panel was brought to Paris in 1812 by Napoleon. Predella was acquired in Florence in 1830.
Coronation of the Mother of God. Altar of San Domenico. OK. 1434-35. Tempera and gold, wood. 213 x 211 cm Louvre, Paris
The theme of the Coronation of the Mother of God was widespread in the 13th century, being part of the Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) - the work of James Voraginsky, a collection of Christian legends and entertaining lives of saints, written around 1260. The Golden Legend was one of the most beloved books of the Middle Ages, in the XIV-XVI centuries. ranked second in popularity after the Bible. The episode of the Coronation follows the Assumption of the Virgin and describes the divine greeting of the Virgin by Christ, who exalts her above the rest of the saints and blessed.
Following nine marble steps of different colors, Mary goes up to the throne of Christ, where a place has been prepared for her. Kneeling and bowing her head, she receives the crown from the hands of her Son in glory. They are surrounded by a heavenly host of musicians, angels and saints. Some of them have their names engraved on nimbuses, others can be recognized by their attributes. In the foreground are kneeling Saint Louis of France in a crown adorned with lilies (Fleur de Lis - Royal lily, a heraldic symbol), Mary Magdalene in red robes with flowing hair and a vessel of oil, Saint Catherine of Alexandria with a wheel, an attribute of her martyrdom, Saint Agnes with a lamb at my breast. Several Dominicans who patronized the painting can be recognized by their white robes and black robes. On the left in the second row, Saint Dominic is depicted in profile, he holds a lily and a red star burns above his head. Saint Peter the Martyr is depicted at the top left with a bleeding wound on his head. Saint Thomas Aquinas is also represented, holding one of his books and pointing to the throne.
The picture is distinguished by the radiant purity of color, drawn by the artist in Gothic painting, and the new science of pictorial space, created by his contemporaries in Florence. This official-hierarchical gathering of saints and angels around the most sacred heavenly rite no longer has anything archaic or pompous; it has a lot of strict and at the same time careful attention to everything observed in reality. Even the combination of primary colors in no way has a heraldic or conditional character - it conveys the luminosity and saturation of the environment due to Fra Angelico's characteristic sense of light and space. The perspective is inventive and very accurately calculated. It conveys the depth of the architectural space without affecting the foreground. Its extended, unhurried descent, devoid of even a sign of any dramatic pressure, speaks of the infinite remoteness of the grandiose heavenly abode.
In this altarpiece, Angelico goes far from his usual methods of spatial projection. This can be explained exceptional difficulty integrating such a complex composition as the traditional scene of the Coronation into the type of space he designed. This whole, though still divine, scene rests on a solid foundation. The sky is realistically blue, not gold. The very low vantage point makes it possible to place the saints and angels in rows, so that one does not obscure the other. The figures in the foreground are depicted kneeling so that they do not distract the viewer. Mary Magdalene holds her vessel of oil, marking the central axis of the painting.
AT recent times some researchers tend to date this work to the 1450s.
Saint Nicholas of Bari (Nicholas the Wonderworker) is shown in the foreground kneeling, wearing an episcopal mitre and holding a staff. Several scenes from the gospel are depicted on his robe, including the Passion of Christ, the Mocking of Christ, and the Scourging. To his left are Saint Anthony and Saint Francis.
Coronation of the Mother of God. Altar of San Domenico. Fragment
Saint Catherine of Alexandria stands holding a wheel (the instrument of her martyrdom) and addressing Saint Agnes holding her symbol - a lamb. The mantle of St. Agnes descends in sculptural folds to the ground. The halos of these saints are carefully adjusted so that the face of Saint Catherine is not obscured. In this picture, the halos are treated as flat, in some cases they are richly decorated with jewels.
Coronation of the Mother of God. Altar of San Domenico. Fragment
Since the altarpiece was made for the church of San Domenico, its predella represents scenes from the life of Saint Dominic.
Saint Dominic was born in noble family in 1170. He studied at a school in Palencia, where for 10 years he studied free arts and theology. In his youth, Dominic became famous for his kindness and compassion. It is known that he sold his valuable books and even clothes to help his compatriots suffering from hunger and captured by the Moors.
In 1196 Dominic was ordained a priest. In 1203 he traveled to southern France, determined to devote himself to preaching the gospel and fighting heresy in that region. In 1206, they founded a women's community in Pruyle, which consisted of the daughters of Catholic nobles and women converted from heresy. In 1214, the first community appeared in Toulouse, six like-minded people from this community then became the core of the Order of Preachers, later it was more often called the Order of the Dominicans by the name of the founder. The main tasks of the order were the preaching of the Gospel and the study of the sciences.
In 1217 Dominic moved to Rome, where he began intensive work in the interests of the rapidly growing order he had created. He died in 1221 in Bologna, the relics rest in the Bologna basilica, named after him.
The tradition of the Catholic Church associates with the name of St. Dominic the appearance of the Rosary - a widespread Catholic prayer on the rosary. According to legend, the Rosary was given to Saint Dominic in 1214 during the apparition of the Virgin Mary. Another tradition connects the emblem of the Dominican order - a running dog with a flaming torch in its teeth - with a dream in which the mother of St. Dominic saw such a dog on the eve of her son's birth.
Saint Dominic is depicted wearing a white tunic of a Dominican monk, a white scapular and a black cloak; the iconographic symbols of St. Dominic are a lily, a star in the forehead or above the forehead, a book (most often open on a page with the words “Go and preach”), the founder’s cross (patriarchal), a temple (Lateran basilica), a dog with a torch, a rosary, a staff.
Altar of San Domenico, predella: The Dream of Innocent III. OK. 1434-35. Tempera, wood. Louvre, Paris
At first, Pope Innocent III, although he took the monastery created by Dominic under his patronage, refused to approve the order, since at the Lutheran IV Council that took place it was decided to prohibit the creation of new monastic orders. However, after the refusal, the pope had a dream where Dominic propped up the Lateran Basilica that threatened to fall. Considering this as a special sign, dad invited Dominic to his place and approved of his idea.
Altarpiece of San Domenico, predella: Saints Peter and Paul appearing to Saint Dominic. OK. 1434-35. Tempera, wood. Louvre, Paris
One day, when Saint Dominic was praying in the old St. Peter's Basilica, he had a vision. The Apostle Peter gave him a staff, and the Apostle Paul handed him a book. They spoke to him, saying, "Go and preach, as you have been chosen by God for this."
Predella. Fragment. Saints Peter and Paul Appearing to Saint Dominic
Altarpiece of San Domenico, predella: Resurrection by Napoleone Orsini. OK. 1434-35. Tempera, wood. Louvre, Paris
According to legend, Saint Dominic in the monastery of San Sisto in Rome resurrected the nephew of Cardinal Orsini, the young Napoleone, who fell from his horse and fell to his death. On Maundy Thursday 1217, Napoleone Orsini galloped his horse, hastening to the Fiscal Tower, but the horse threw him off, and he crashed to death in front of the gates of the monastery of St. Sixtus. Luckily for him, at that moment Saint Dominic was leaving the monastery. Seeing the squires, pages, servants, weeping over the lifeless body of their master, he inquired about the kind and condition of the deceased, and learning that it was Napoleone Orsini, approached the inconsolable retinue, raised his hand and said: “Do not cry, for by grace God's master is not dead." And since the servants of the deceased, not heeding the words of the poor monk, whom they took for a madman, shook their heads and screamed even louder, Dominic said: "Napoleone Orsini, rise." Which the dead man immediately did, much to the surprise of those around him.
Altarpiece of San Domenico, predella: The Man of Sorrows. OK. 1434-35. Tempera, wood. Louvre, Paris
This panel is located in the center of the predella. This is an iconographic type of the Man of Sorrows: a half-figured image of the Savior in a crown of thorns, with bleeding wounds and a faded gaze, as well as instruments of the Passion (objects associated with the sufferings of Christ: a cross, nails, a crown of thorns, scourges, a column, a rope).
Altarpiece of San Domenico, predella: Debate of Saint Dominic and the miracle of the book. OK. 1434-35. Tempera, wood. Louvre, Paris
The painting depicts the Miracle of Fire, which took place in 1207 in Fanjo. Saint Dominic gives a book about the true faith of Christ to a representative of the Albigensians, and during the trial by fire, the heretical books burned down, while the book of Saint Dominic jumped out of the fire unharmed.
Predella. Fragment. Debate of Saint Dominic
Albigensians - participants in the heretical movement in southern France in the 12th-13th centuries, adherents of the teachings of the Cathars. They opposed the tenets of the Catholic Church, church land ownership and tithes. The Albigensians rejected baptism, communion and church marriage, opposed social inequality, did not recognize private property, denied the need for secular and ecclesiastical power. A part joined the Albigensians local nobility. The Albigensian heresy covered mainly three provinces of France - Toulouse, Provence and Languedoc. The rebels were led by Count Raymond VI of Toulouse. At his court gathered the most brilliant, most talented knights and troubadours. At first, the Albigenses were lucky, but the church declared a crusade against them (Albigensian Crusade, 1209-1215). When the crusader army came to the south of France, one of the supreme clergymen was asked: how to distinguish good Christians from heretics. And he answered: "Kill them all. The Lord in heaven will take away his own." In 1215, the Albigensian uprising was crushed, Raymond VI died.
A few years later, the knight Bernard Sikkart de Marvejols composed the Song of the Albigensian crusade. A medieval manuscript with its text is also kept in the Rumyantsev Library. It was on the stone terrace of this building that Woland and Azazello sat waiting for the restless couple Behemoth and Koroviev. capital letter The song was made in the form of a figure of a knight in dark purple robes. Obviously, it was this memory that made Bulgakov call Fagot the purple knight.
Altarpiece of San Domenico, predella: Angels serve food to the monks of the order of Saint Dominic. OK. 1434-35. Tempera, wood. Louvre, Paris
Altarpiece of San Domenico, predella: Assumption of Saint Dominic. OK. 1434-35. Tempera, wood. Louvre, Paris
Altar "Coronation of Mary" (1434-35. Uffizi)
This famous painting originally hung on the altar screen of the church of Sant'Egidio in the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence. She entered the Uffizi Gallery in 1704, but from 825 to 1945 she was in San Marco. Exhibited since 1948.
In style, this painting occupies an intermediate position between the Gothic and the Renaissance - it clearly features elements that are both conservatively Gothic and progressively Renaissance. Here the viewer will find everything that he can expect from a very expensive 14th century altarpiece - a gold background with elaborate embossing, precious lapis lazuli, a lot of cinnabar, the obvious presence of arsenic green tones. The finely crafted gilded halos and golden edges of the robes are graceful and very gothic. But, at the same time, this is already a painting of the Renaissance - unlike the masterpiece of Gentile da Fabriano, the figures of the characters are three-dimensional, the folds of their clothes hang down and drape around the figures with an easy naturalness. Even if the figures of Fra Angelico's characters stand on the clouds, they are weighty and realistic.
Fra Angelico devoted several of his works to the scene of the Coronation of Mary (Louvre Museum, San Marco Museum, Uffizi Gallery).
Coronation of Mary. 1434-1435. Tempera, wood. 112 x 114 cm. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Fra Angelico's predecessors in this scene reproduced Giotto's model with minor variations, and Angelico himself gives it in its simplest form. High in the central part of the "Coronation", Christ places the crown on the Mother of God, who sits with crossed arms and bows her head to receive this sign of majesty from her Son. However, there is no expression of joyful ecstasy on her face, she sits modestly, lowering her eyes, as if not daring to raise them to the Savior. Angels and saints, symmetrically located on the sides, fill the entire background of the picture. They stand with their heads either raised in admiration or lowered in respect, but in a state so similar that it gives a sense of the unity of the whole picture.
Fra Angelico repeats the main line of Giotto, but develops it according to his high ideal, intense faith and mystical feeling. It gives the Mother of God an expression of infinite peace, a truly cosmic charm to the angels, a serene expression of bliss to the saints, and the divine character of the vision of Paradise to the whole scene.
Coronation of Mary. Fragment
As with all of Angelico's paintings of the Coronation of Mary, the formality of the event is softened by the charming charm of the details. In the foreground on the right, with his back to the viewer, an angel is depicted playing a small organ, on the left he is accompanied by a stringed instrument.
Coronation of Mary. Fragment
Above, on both sides of the main group, pipes are raised high above their heads. Among other instruments we can recognize a lute on the left and a small oval mandolin on the right. The inner circle is made up of six high dancing angels. Their flowing robes and the position of their hands show the direction of their movement.
The predella of the altar presents scenes from the life of the Mother of God - the Betrothal and the Assumption. Predella is now in the monastery of San Marco in Florence.
In 1629 the Marquis Botti presented these panels to Cosimo II. In 1704 they were transferred to the Uffizi Gallery, and in 1924 they were transferred to the San Marco Museum.
Predella. Betrothal, Assumption. 1434-1435. Tempera, wood. Monastery of San Marco, Florence
Predella. Mary's betrothal. Fragment. 1434-1435. Tempera, wood. 19 x 50 cm. Monastery of San Marco, Florence
The scene of the Betrothal of Mary repeats the plot of the predellas of other altars. It unfolds in front of the Jerusalem Temple. High Priest Zechariah entrusts Mary to Joseph the Betrothed, standing on the left with a staff covered with leaves. On the left side of the picture, other applicants are examining their staves.
Predella. Assumption of the Mother of God. Fragment. 1434-1435. Tempera, wood. 19 x 50 cm. Monastery of San Marco, Florence
The Lord descends to the tomb of the Mother of God, standing on a raised platform surrounded by apostles and angels. Saint Peter holds a palm branch in his hands.
Cortona triptych (1437. Diocesano Museum, Cortona)
The triptych was housed in the side chapel of the church of Saint Dominic in Cortona, in the chapel to the right of the main high altar. It was commissioned by Giovanni di Tommaso, one of the wealthiest citizens of Cortona.
At the beginning of the Second World War, he was walled up in a tower, where the tree was badly damaged due to high humidity and temperature changes. There was a need to separate the paint layer and transfer it to a new base. The triptych has been restored. Unfortunately, it has lost its strength and now requires constant monitoring.
Corton triptych. 1437. Tempera on wood. 218 x 240 cm. Diocesano Museum, Cortona
As shown by the restoration work, this triptych is composed of three wooden panels, the upper part and the lower border (predella). Therefore these three individual works may have been written in different time and for various reasons. The upper part represents the Annunciation and the Crucifixion of Christ. In the center is the Madonna and Child, on the left are John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, and on the right are St. Matthew and Mary Magdalene. The predella presents episodes from the life of St. Dominic, as well as images of other saints and angels.
It has recently been suggested that the predella, whose subject matter is not related to the saints in the main panels, and the central panel, which does not continue the horizon lines of the side panels, may have originally belonged to another altar—perhaps an altar destined for the main altar niche of the church.
In 1945, when the painting was transferred from the original wooden base, the opportunity arose to trace Angelico's method of work. The preparatory drawing of each part of the composition is made with one hand. The forms are applied with green paint (terra verde) on primed boards, linear hatching with exceptional subtlety and grace outlines the hair, eyelids, lips and nostrils; lightly outlined areas of light and shadow denote volumes. Naturally, in the process of completing the compositions developed in preparatory drawing the scheme could be simplified. This has its own logic - the figures, made by the master himself, clearly show that in order to convey the volume of forms and the illusion of depth, he to some extent sacrificed the original sophistication of the image.
Corton triptych. Central panel. 1437. Tempera on wood. 137 x 68 cm Diocesano Museum, Cortona
Experts tend to date the image of the Madonna to 1434, and the complete work to 1937. However, some recent experts (Kanter and Palladino, 2005) suggest that it was completed at the end of 1440-45 and attribute its design to Fra Angelico and its execution to his assistants (the central panel of the Cortona triptych is considered to be a replica of the central panel triptych in Perugia).
Corton triptych. St. Matthew. Right panel. Fragment
Corton triptych. Mary Magdalene with a vase. Right panel. Fragment
The upper part of the triptych represents the Annunciation and the Crucifixion of Christ.
Corton triptych. Fragment. 1437. Tempera on wood. 31 x 47 cm. Diocesano Museum, Cortona
On the top peak above the central panel is a scene of the Crucifixion with Mary and John the Evangelist.
Corton triptych. Fragments
At the top of the altar, two tondos represent the Annunciation. The left image represents the angel of the Annunciation, the right - the Virgin Mary.
The predella consists of beautifully executed miniatures representing episodes from the life of St. Dominic and images of other saints and angels (for St. Dominic, see Coronation of Our Lady. Altarpiece of San Domenico).
Left side of the predella
On the left is Saint Peter the Martyr. Further, without separation, there are scenes from the life of St. Dominic - The Dream of Pope Innocent III (he dreamed of St. Dominic supporting the falling basilica, and this prompted him to speak out in support of the monastic order founded by Dominic), The meeting of St. Dominic with St. Francis, St. Dominic receiving the book and a staff from the Apostles Peter and Paul.
Central part of the predella
On the central part of the predella on the left is depicted St. Michael the Archangel, then - the scene of the resurrection by St. Dominic Napoleone Orsini, who fell from his horse and fell to his death. Next are the dispute of St. Dominic with heretics, as well as the Miracle with the Book, when the heretical books were burned, and the book of St. Dominic came out of the flame unharmed. On the right is Saint Vincent.
The right side of the predella. 1437. Tempera on wood. 23 x 230 cm (whole predella). Diocesano Museum, Cortona
On the right side of the predella are scenes with Angels serving the monks of the order, and the Assumption of St. Dominic. The predella ends with the image of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Triptych from Perugia (1437. National Gallery of Umbria, Perugia)
The large altar, called the Triptych of Perugia, was made for the chapel of San Nicollo of the church of Saint Dominic in Perugia. Perhaps it was ordered by the will of Bishop Benedict Giudalotti (who died in 1429, a well-known lawyer close to Pope Martin V) - St. Nicholas was considered the patron of the Giudalotti family.
The Dominican Chronicle of 1578 attributes the creation of this triptych to 1437. However, some critics see in the face of St. Nicholas, depicted to the left of the Mother of God, a portrait of Pope Nicholas V, who was elected pope only in 1447, and thus suggesting a later date for the creation of the triptych.
The altarpiece is considered to be the original work of Fra Angelico, but in some of the minor panels critics notice the hand of Zanobi Strozzi.
Altarpiece from Perugia. 1437. Tempera on wood. National Gallery of Umbria, Perugia
The triptych from Perugia consists of three main panels, a predella with three paintings, and two decorated side pilasters. This altar retained its integrity until 1812, when it was divided into parts by the Napoleonic administration. The three main panels remained in Perugia, but they were moved to the chapel of St. Ursula (ibid., in the church of St. Domenic).
Two panels of the predella were sent to Rome and remain there to this day. The remaining panel of the predella was sent to Paris, to the Louvre, but was eventually returned to the church of Saint Dominic in Perugia and placed on the door to the sacristy.
In 1863, all parts of the altarpiece left in Perugia were transferred to the National Gallery, and in 1922 they were assembled into a modern neo-Gothic altarpiece. Despite all these vicissitudes, the altar is one of the best preserved major works Fra Angelico.
Thus, at present, most of the original altar is now in the National Gallery of Umbria in Perugia, two paintings from the predella are in the Vatican Pinacoteca.
The central panel of the triptych depicts the Madonna and Child enthroned, surrounded by four angels. The side panels represent St. Dominic and St. Nicholas (Nicholas the Pleasant), as well as John the Baptist and St. Catherine of Alexandria.
Altarpiece from Perugia. The Virgin with the Child on the throne. Central panel. 1437. Tempera on wood. 130 x 77 cm National Gallery of Umbria, Perugia
The central panel is now exposed without the original frame, and the area hidden by it is easily guessed in the upper corners of the picture. Compared to the Linaiwall altar, the image of the Madonna is not so monumental, and the baby is written out more roundly and realistically. Angelico returns to the circle of angels to create additional space in the depths of the canvas, but two of them - those that should have been in front of the throne - are replaced by three vases of flowers. The throne of the Madonna is presented in the form of a solid classical chair with a round arch and pilasters with a carved top. The background of the painting is still golden, abstract.
Central panel. Fragment
Altarpiece from Perugia. Saint Dominic and Saint Nicholas. Left panel. 1437. Tempera on wood. 95 x 73 cm. National Gallery of Umbria, Perugia
Saint Dominic and Saint Nicholas stand to the right of the Madonna. They are deprived of the sculptural monumentality of the saints of the Linaiwall altar and are illuminated with a softer and more scattered light rather than stand in a darkened niche.
In this altar, Angelico for the first time departs from the usual abstractness of the golden, all-encompassing background. He places the figures in front of a long table, the end of which is visible behind St. Nicholas, and on which he placed his miter. However, this is not yet such a deep departure from tradition - the table is covered with a gold tablecloth and behind it is the usual gold background.
These two figures stand in the closest part of the created space - the foot of St. Dominic and the robe of St. Nicholas touch the edge of the step. Saint Nicholas is dressed in a bishop's robe and holding a staff, three leather bags are at his feet. This refers to the best-known legend about this fourth-century priest. He slipped bags of gold through the open window, thus giving dowries to the three women who lived there, and thereby saving them from prostitution. This scene, along with two other scenes from the life of the saint, is depicted on the predella of the altar.
Saint Dominic. Fragment
The portrait of St. Dominic on this canvas is one of the most profound images in the history of art of a man whose soul is "formed in the divine likeness." With subtlety and intuition, Fra Angelico shows in the portrait of the founder of his order the holy hope, the thought expressed by another great Dominican, Thomas Aquinas: "They hope not for some vaguely defined happiness, but for eternal happiness with the Mother of God and the angels and saints in the vision of the Triune God." (Summa Theologiae, 2a2ae17, 2)
Altarpiece from Perugia. John the Baptist and Saint Catherine. Right panel. 1437. Tempera on wood. 95 x 73 cm. National Gallery of Umbria, Perugia
John the Baptist and St. Catherine of Alexandria stand on the edge of the step and behind them, like the other pair of saints, there is a table. The cross of John involuntarily goes behind his halo, its lower end is somewhat pushed forward, but neither this, nor his leg put forward, recreate the impression of three-dimensionality that was on the Linfiuol altar. He is holding a scroll with his own words"Behold the Lamb of the Lord who takes away the sin of the World."
The figure of St. Catherine is depicted with some element of sculpture. Behind her is a broken wheel from the devilish car she was tortured on. Catherine was born in Alexandria in 287 and was converted to Christianity by a Syrian monk. According to legend, after baptism, Jesus Christ appeared to her in a dream and handed her a ring, calling her his bride. She was martyred during the reign of Emperor Maximian at the beginning of the 4th century. One of the instruments of torture that became a symbol of St. Catherine were wheels with numerous knives. These wheels were destroyed by an angel descended from heaven, who saved Catherine from torment. Seeing the stubbornness of the saint, Maximian ordered her to be executed by cutting off her head. According to legend, milk flowed out of the wound instead of blood.
Some experts see in these two figures the hand of assistants, and not the master himself.
The tops of the side panels of the altar decorate the images of the Angel and Mary, forming the traditional scene of the Annunciation.
Altarpiece from Perugia. Angel of the Annunciation
Altarpiece from Perugia. Annunciation, Mary
Usually the top of the central panel was decorated with the image of God Almighty. It is believed that at this place of this altar was medallion from the Louvre presented in the next section.
(To be continued)
Altar "Annunciation" (Annunciazione)
(1430 - 32. Prado Museum)"The Annunciation" is a picture (altar image) in a carved gilded frame in the height of a man, painted in tempera on a wooden board. Its central part depicts the actual scene of the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos by the archangel Gabriel, and the lower part contains five small accompanying scenes from her life.
Annunciation
OK. 1426. Wood, tempera. 194 x 194 cm. Prado, Madrid"The Annunciation" - one of the altarpieces on the theme of the visit of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, written by Fra Beato Angelico, this is one of his favorite themes. This image was painted for the church of Santo Domingo de Fiesole (Santo Domingo de Fiesole), near Florence around 1426. In 1611 she ended up in Spain. Duke Mario Farnese purchased the painting for the Duke of Lerma. The latter ordered to place it in the church of San Domingo in Valladolid. Then the work came to the Madrid monastery of Descalzas Reales. In 1861 it was transferred to the Prado Museum.
Central panelWith the help of architectural elements, the central panel is visually divided into 3 approximately equal parts. On the right is the Virgin Mary seated in an open portico overlooking the garden. An archangel bows before her (in the center). These two actors are visually separated by a column (a technique traditional for the iconography of the Annunciation). In the perspective depth, the entrance to Mary's room is visible. Fra Angelico will use a similar scheme with the placement of the figures of Mary and the angel in architectural arches in three more of his compositions on the same theme. In the sculptural medallion above the central column there is an image of God the Father.
Archangel Gabriel descends to the throne of Mary with the good news of the imminent birth of the Messiah. The words of Gabriel to Mary (“The Holy Spirit will find upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you”, cited by the Evangelist Luke, the artist clearly illustrates. In heaven, the hands of God the Father sending Mary a ray with a dove - the Holy Spirit. Here is the initial moment of the Christological cycle, and with a symbolic image - an allusion to one of the most important Christian images - the Trinity: the invisibly present Christ, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and even twice represented God the Father (His hands in heaven, as well as a sculptural image in a medallion on the wall house-palace). One of the features of this work is an indication of the future suffering of Christ. Here a small bird appears - a symbol of the soul, and in addition, perhaps, the image of Western tradition It was believed that the goldfinch sat on the head of Christ during the Way of the Cross and pulled the thorn needle from His eyebrow).
Fragment. Image of Adam and EveThe left third of the composition is occupied by the image of the garden - Eden with the scene of the Expulsion from paradise. Archangel Michael drives Adam and Eve out of paradise after the fall. In the depths, probably the Tree of Knowledge. In addition, this Garden of Eden is also one of the incarnations of the Mother of God, the so-called. hortus conclusus ("closed garden"), symbolizing Her purity (which is also associated with the presence of a palm tree here). The combination of two biblical episodes - the Old and the New Testament - has a deep theological justification: the consequences of the fall are depicted in the distance, while in the foreground the conception of Jesus Christ is depicted, whose birth and death on the cross will serve as atonement for the human race for original sin. Mary is thus interpreted as " new eve", free from the shortcomings of the progenitor.
In addition to being loaded with symbols, Fra Angelico's "Annunciation" is a typical testimony of its time, in which that very time is well recognized. Firstly, the painter dresses both the archangel and Mary according to the then fashion (which, however, was not uncommon). And secondly, a loggia with thin elegant columns - just in the spirit of the one that ruled in those days in Florence architectural style Filippo Brunelleschi. The whole semantic string, all the signs of the era are subtly and elegantly beaten with colors that sound gentle, like music. And it is done with taste and joy. Carefully drawn out leaves and petals in the Garden of Eden, no less attentively - floral architectural ornament and, finally, carefully arranged folds of clothes - they all compete with each other in their almost whimsical sophistication.
"Annunciation" - a plot praising the Mother of God. Parallel to the bottom are scenes from Her life and the life of Christ. The predella (lower part) of the altarpiece contains 5 small images:
Nativity and Betrothal of Our LadyOn the left is a scene of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Mary was born in the family of Joachim and Anna. They lived in abundance and hallmark their character was charity towards the poor. They have long time there were no children and the birth of a daughter was foreshadowed by angels after praying to the Lord. From the age of three, Mary was given to the Temple in Jerusalem, and upon reaching the age of majority, she had to leave the temple and get married, which she did not want. The priests did not know what to do, but then an angel appeared to the high priest Zechariah and said: “Zachariah, gather the unmarried men of the tribe of Judah, from the house of David, let them bring their staffs with them. And to whom the Lord will show a sign, to that you will hand over the Virgin, so that he becomes the guardian of Her virginity.
The high priest gathered these men to the temple and, taking away their rods, brought them into the temple. When, after prayer, Zechariah again entered the sanctuary for the rods, he saw that all the rods remained in their former form, and one rod blossomed. This rod belonged to the righteous 80-year-old elder Joseph, who earned his own bread by carpentry. Giving the rod to Joseph, the high priest said: "You will receive the Virgin and you will keep Her." Joseph objected that he had adult sons at home, that he would become a laughingstock for people if he took such a young girl into his house. But the high priest managed to persuade him not to oppose God's will, and at the same time the betrothal took place. The betrothal scene is depicted in the center and on the right.
Meeting of Mary and ElizabethElizabeth is a relative of the Virgin Mary, the mother of John the Baptist. When Elizabeth was expecting a child, being 6 months pregnant, the Virgin Mary came to her, to whom the Archangel Gabriel announced the forthcoming birth of her son of God. The baby “leaped in the womb” of Elizabeth, and she realized that the future mother of the savior was in front of her and greeted Mary as “blessed among wives.” At a meeting with her, Mary uttered the most beautiful hymn "My soul magnifies the Lord ...". She lived there for 3 months, after which she returned to Joseph's house.
Adoration of the MagiAdoration of the Magi - gospel story about the wise men who came from the East to bow to the baby Jesus and bring him gifts. According to the apostle Matthew, the Magi lived somewhere in the east. They saw a star in the sky and realized that it was a sign. Following her movement through the firmament, they crossed several states and arrived in Jerusalem. There they turned to the ruling sovereign of this country, Herod, with the question of where they could see the newly born King of the Jews, apparently assuming that the ruler should be related to him by family ties. Herod was alarmed by this news, but did not show it and politely escorted the Magi out of the palace, asking them, when they find the King, to tell him where he is, "so that I can go and worship Him." The travelers left Jerusalem and followed the guiding star that led them to Bethlehem. There they found Mary with the baby, bowed to him and brought gifts. After that, a revelation came to the Magi in a dream that it was not worth returning to Herod with information about the success of their journey, and they went home by another road.
Bringing to the TempleAfter the birth of Jesus, when the period of purification prescribed by law ended, Joseph and Mary carried the baby Jesus to the temple to consecrate him to God, for every first-born boy, according to the law, had to be consecrated to the Lord. In Jerusalem at that time there was a man whose name was Simeon. He was a righteous and holy man. It was foretold to him that he would not die without seeing the Messiah. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Simeon went to the temple on the very day that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus there. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and glorified the Lord: “The Lord, sovereign over all! As You promised, now You release Your servant in peace, because my eyes have seen the salvation that You have prepared for all the people, the light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel! The meeting of Christ and the elder Simeon described in the Gospel in an allegorical sense means the meeting of the Old and New Testaments and, accordingly, two historical eras.
DormitionBy the time of her death, the Mother of God lived in Jerusalem, visited Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher for prayers. Once, during a prayer, the archangel Gabriel appeared to her, saying that in three days she would “depart to Christ God.” To commemorate his words, the archangel handed the Mother of God a branch of the tree of paradise, instructing her to carry it in front of the tomb of the Mother of God during burial. Wishing to see the apostles before her death, Mary turned to God with a prayer and "at the command of God, they brought them to Jerusalem, placing them in Zion in front of the doors of the house where the Mother of God lived." Having said goodbye to all her relatives and made an order regarding her property, the Mother of God prepared for death. Suddenly, the inexpressible light of Divine glory shone in the upper room, darkening the lamps. Those to whom this vision was revealed saw that the roof of the upper room was open and the glory of the Lord was descending from heaven.
c-rover
2010semiotic analysis. Abstract.
In this picture, on the left, the scene of the expulsion from Paradise, while the Annunciation occupies the main area of the board.
1. Garden. The scene on the left is strikingly different from the light scene of the meeting of the Angel: although Paradise, it is some kind of brown, written roughly, this is the theme of an old man who has not yet comprehended the secrets, carelessly breaking the Covenant. The poses of Adam and Eve are rough, somehow unambiguous, there are no nuances of feelings, they are broken, full of remorse and sorrow.
2. Two angels. The angel in the garden is also sad and we notice the identity of the angels. There he saw off sinners, here he brings the good news about the birth of the Savior. This is a direct connotation that affirms the continuity of spiritual history.
- The Lord is all-good and cannot curse a person. Man carelessly sins, but God leads him to the heights of spiritual self-consciousness. The very fact of the Angel hovering over the fallen ones suggests that they are not abandoned at all and there is hope.
- Adam's sin over each of us - but an angel over each
- Ray. He compositionally crosses out the scene of the Annunciation, linking both scenes compositionally. It seems to come from there, from Paradise, because the very question of Paradise is a rather complicated question for experienced exegetes...
- Paradise. In the left corner of the picture, God, like the sun, illuminates the garden, Paradise is eternal, like the Lord is eternal, only people fall out of God, fall away from the Covenant - it can be assumed that this happens periodically in some complex spiritual evolution of mankind
- Connection of times. Spiritual history cannot be torn apart, while human history is torn all the time, and we make crude attempts to glue history together and present it as a single whole, which supposedly even obeys certain laws. "The connection of times has been broken!" - exactly on this topic ...
- And spiritual history goes on unceasingly and incomprehensibly to the human mind - all-graceful
- Evolution. Everything is rough in the garden scene - everything is elegant and shining in the scene with Mary. The gospel light is higher than the old: in contrast to that naivety, ignorance, rude outburst of feelings (curiosity, lust) - here everything is elegant and high, everything is flooded with divine radiance, here is the highest knowledge of the coming Redeemer
3. Gap between the old and the new man. The purely outwardly outlined figures of sinners - Mary is inwardly concentrated, she is immersed in this higher knowledge, which is now revealed to her. On the other hand, Adam is completely deprived of that freedom and godlikeness inherent in him according to the Torah.
- Mary's cubicle itself is like an island of light in the ocean of darkness, here are the steps of the spiritual hierarchy
- The island, on the other hand, is perceived not at all as an island in the Garden of Eden, but as an island of light in a world of darkness; this is precisely our world, we live in this garden of pleasures, completely unaware of high society and the purity of that angelic radiance; we readily curse ourselves and others and understand the measure of our fall and meanness - in the midst of this darkness, a bright island floats with Mary, who brings Christ to the world
- The Garden of Delights, an early film by Carlos Saura
4. Light- bright, clean, the whole range is hot, golden ocher and cadmium fill the space of Mary's chamber. Heavenly blue and red, the color of the Sacrifice - the news of which the Angel brought - with gold finishes create the effect of the nobility of the whole range.
- At this moment, she comprehends not only the heavenly news about the birth of the Son, but also gains knowledge of His tragic fate; which enhances the mystery and inscrutable depth of this great moment
- Overcoming the symbolism of color. The scarlet angel, the color of sacrifice, he brings the news of the great Sacrifice; while Maria is wearing a blue cloak, at the same time her dress is also scarlet, emphasizing motherly function
5. Contrast heavy wings of an Angel, halos - all this gold, ocher, heavy tones - and the graceful, thin face of Mary, her thin fingers.
6. Drawing. While maintaining the unity of the composition, it is with the help of the drawing - for example, the master refines the shapes of flowers and plants in the foreground of the left scene and at the same time precisely refines the folds of the Angel's mantle; small stars in the ceiling painting, etc. - Angelico highlights the elegant, subtle elements of the composition.
- Thin columns play the role of not only compositional supports: the central column separates the Angel and Mary, becoming a kind of pillar of faith, around which they bowed in symmetrical prayer poses: at the top there is a bas-relief of God the Father
- Compositionally, the columns form ascending thin verticals, so that the whole structure is elegant and fragile and speaks of the spiritual - of the heavenly temple.
As opposed to coarse and statuary poses going sinners, left, figures frozen the saints on the right, on the contrary, are mobile and light, graceful and full of inner movement.
7. Spirit permeates the entire scene. An angel in addition to the beam, some additional materialization spirituality, plus halos, plus starry ceilings and doves, which are indistinguishable at first - all this creates the maximum spiritual substance; the flesh disappears, the figures in this radiance and graceful poses, completely devoid of any earthly beginning, acquire incorporeality.
8. Other details.
- The back room is empty and clean, there is nothing there, and you willy-nilly ask the question: why is it needed? Firstly, it gives perspective, and secondly, this earthly emptiness the house of Mary is filled with the Spirit - the room is transformed, cleansed, although it is empty
- The scenes below also contrast with the main one: these scenes of the infancy of Christ are painted in more real colors and patterns and also highlight the holiness and heavenliness of the main scene.
Piero della Francesca. Annunciation
9. Parallels.
- If we compare it with the later work of Angelico from the Cathedral of St. Mark from Venice, there is the classical simplicity of a mature master - here the rapture of light, the magic of the sacrament ... On the other hand, in the later picture everything is permeated with one idea - the idea of \u200b\u200bthe Sacrifice: both the angel and St. Peter (left), and the room itself, reminiscent of a dungeon, and the ascetic figure of Mary - everything speaks of a great Sacrifice
- Leonardo. The work of Leonardo da Vinci from the Uffizi gallery is a song of the good news that is transmitted miraculously at sunset, in such an earthly setting, although there is magic hidden literally in every leaf...
- Van der Weyden. A painting from the Washington National Gallery is similar to ours. The more everyday and ordinary coloring of the room removes a note of higher spiritual sound, which is undoubtedly present in Angelico
10. The artist painted several versions of the Annunciation. This fresco by Beato Angelico is dedicated to the same subject.
Here the composition is somewhat complicated, the event takes place in an ordinary twilight atmosphere, and Mary responds with a gesture to the angel - this is a gesture of the Knower, a gesture of the initiate ... As if in a fuss everyday life a moment of miracle, a moment of discovery - there is a feeling of elusiveness of spiritual insight...
Amazing artist! Whatever color he uses, this amazing subtlety of features, the fragility of figures and faces are amazing - they are all luminous, and once seen, it is already impossible to forget them.
The art of interpretation
an interpretation was born in the church as a distortion of the words of Christ, their true meaning, which generally excluded the church itself as a significant organism - Christ understood it as a spiritual brotherhood, and not as an institution of power
when He said “you are not of this world”, it meant exactly this: the world will not accept you, and you do not need it; get out of the world, detachment, purity, no church is provided for here (another proof that the words to Peter are the work of the apostles, addition)
this is the great skill of any interpretation of significant texts: your creativity you bring a new meaning into the world; and one question, does the world need him; did you manage to foresee all the consequences of the distortion; the other is distortion itself in a world where everything is already distorted and solid surrogates
you realize this, and then the interpretation from the production of new meanings turns into a process of restoring the lost, a kind of conservation of meanings and values
only in your own mind, alone with yourself, you dare to continue the study, go forward, and you jump across the deserted steppe, like the jockey Magritte, into the void ... only I definitely don’t need your fullness
the faces of Angelico are not from the world, there is not a drop of worldly fuss at all, everything is different - in fact, of course, these are icons
the scenes take place in a courtyard, in a temple, in a garden, in a house, but this is not a garden or a house, but the Kingdom of Heaven, the kingdom of the Holy Spirit, and you are sure that completely different laws and other relations operate there than in the yard or at home
the galleries of the temple are heavenly halls, not a single earthly movement or emotion, the faces are solemn and exalted, and even these thin columns, the impression, reach into the heavens, endlessly - that is the temple of the Spirit, not the church
the coloring is enlightened, everything is full of some inner light and that sublimity that modern man simply forgot about, and he is no longer capable of such states of the soul, his world is a soulless accumulation of creatures
you look and feel the immeasurable height up to such a letter, up to this magical imprint of a lofty soul soaring in the real Kingdom - this is the truth imprinted, indisputable, elevating the soul, hungry for light
but the dull, worldly soul, the receptacle of evil passions and eternal greed, leaves indifferent; there is nothing to interpret - there is only a hymn
the gospel commandments were for them the rules of life, spiritual man he thought with these words, with these concepts and could not recognize others - for a modern thinking person, as a rule, this is already literature, just a book in which there is some wisdom; however, he does not live according to this wisdom and not according to some other
he lives according to the established model, in accordance with the circumstances, connections, duties and opportunities, he does not have this core - there is no Spirit in him; although it is unlikely that an intellectual will admit his own lack of spirituality, this is one of his sacred words
and the sacred means incomprehensible and secret, it is impossible to explain it, like himself, he will not be able to explain his proud status, he will talk about education and, of course, about freedom
here is freedom - in the Spirit that lifts you up, because if there is no freedom from the earth, freedom from matter in a person, then he is not at all familiar with this thing
Builder
man builds his own world
it’s hard to start: the habit of abstractions is too pressing, and you complain about injustice, but you yourself, personally, are you really fair in your relations: you sort through people, and you understand that terrifying injustice, ingratitude, enmity, cynicism reigns ... what do you want from power? - God told her
for us, brought up in the Soviet Union, in the spirit of this bad, impersonal collective, at first it is difficult to imagine this spiritualized loneliness of the creator; we are always trying to cling to others, to “common values”, to party, group and other things that really mean nothing
unite in protest, in sarcasm, in hatred, in discussion, and suddenly they discover that there is a divergence literally on all points: they try to say something in common, to create at least an atom of unity - and nothing happens
what is this? - some kind of quarrelsome character? - or lack of education, so that people understand all the words in their own way and will never be able to create a single text - yes, there is truth in this, and yet the main truth lies deeper
I think as soon as a modern person begins to think, he thinks independently, he already breaks away from this meaningless heaps- and therefore rejects everything group, any common ideology or utopia, because all of them have already been denounced
every perception, analysis, essay, every step is now creation: if you have embarked on this path, no one will lead you off it; because you are completely possessed by this wonderful feeling and anticipation - the Truth
everything is permeated with light; but each figure soars in its own separate space, its own spiritual niche - this is the general idea of a niche in the temple - non-confusion, rejection of any dead dogmas, eternally alive - the Spirit ...
V.B. Levitov
May 11th, 2014
Quote from Bo4kaMedaAngelico, Fra Beato (Guido di Pietro) - heavenly patron of all artists
ITALY
Angel from the Annunciation 1450/1455
gold, tempera, wood 33.0 x 27.0 cm
Art Institute, Detroit
Virgin Mary of the Annunciation 1450/1455
gold, tempera, wood 49.5 x 44.1 cm
Art Institute, DetroitFew masters of fine arts were honored with such sincere respect during their lifetime and good memory after death as Fra Angelico. The first mention of this amazing Italian artist Early Renaissance date back to 1417, when he was apparently known by his real name Guido de Pietro(the future artist was born in Vicchio, near Florence). By this time, the young man had mastered drawing well and was taking his first steps in painting (there is no reliable information about his teachers today). Around 1420, a young Florentine, having become a member of the monastic Catholic order of the Dominicans (Brothers Preachers), founded in the early thirteenth century to fight for religious purity, took the name Fra Giovanni da Fiesole (brother of Giovanni of Fiesole). Finally, he entered the history of painting as Fra Angelico (literally - "angel's brother") with a later addition - Beato (which corresponds to the Catholic - "blessed" or Orthodox - "holy").
Annunciation 1440-1442
In the early years of monasticism, Fra Giovanni apparently diligently studied the works and lives of the apostles, Church Fathers, and saints. Perhaps he was engaged in illustrating religious scriptures (the good practice of an artist-draughtsman can be seen in most of the works of Fra Angelico). The artist's first significant work is considered to be his altar triptych St. Peter the Martyr (c. 1427-1428), which he created for his monastery in Fiesole. The first half of the 1430s was the time of the formation of the artist Fra Angelico. He creates a number of compositions, where he demonstrates the setting of perspective-spatial tasks and the transition to painting, which would later be called Renaissance. Among his works of this time are the Coronation of the Mother of God, the Last Judgment, Madonna Linaioli, St. Anne with Mary and Christ, the Annunciation, the Descent from the Cross, which in our time are in the leading museums of the world.
Altar of Saint Peter the Martyr Around 1427-1428
wood, tempera 137 x 168 cm
Museum of San Marco, Florence
By the end of the 1430s, Fra Angelico moved from his workshop to Florence, to the rebuilt monastery of San Marco. In it, the artist creates a large-scale fresco of the Crucifixion, as well as a number of compositions in the premises and cells of the monastery (the Annunciation, the Transfiguration, the Coronation of Mary and many others), which, according to the author, should have inspired great piety in the monks.In the mid-1440s, Fra Angelico, at the invitation of Pope Eugene IV, arrived in Rome, where he decorated many of the premises of the churches and palaces of the Vatican (unfortunately, the artist’s works of this period have not been preserved). Together with his student and assistant Benozzo Gozzoli in 1446-1447, Fra Angelico created frescoes in cathedral in Orvieto. Some later artist, apparently again with his students and assistants, again worked in Rome, where he completed the order of Pope Nicholas V on the murals of his chapel in the Vatican. The frescoes are based on the life of the heroes of early Christianity - Saints Lawrence and Stephen, before whom Fra Angelico bowed. Some wall paintings in the Niccolina Chapel have survived to this day.
Annunciation. Corton altar Around 1433-1434
tempera on wood 175 x 180 cm
Diocesano Museum, Cortona (Diocesan Museum of Cortona)
Fra Angelico, holding prominent positions in the church hierarchy (he was rector of the monasteries in San Domenico in Fiesole and San Marco in Florence), communicated with prominent figures of Catholicism of his time - the Florentine Archbishop Saint Anthony, Popes Eugene IV and Nicholas V, expanding his knowledge of religious and public life.
Altar "Coronation of the Virgin Mary" 1434-1435
wood, tempera 112 x 114 cm
Uffizi Gallery, Florence
The artist's works are filled with simplicity, a special thrill, calling for prayer, for the sublime. Fra Angelico was a thinking artist who knew well the work of his predecessors and contemporaries. Apparently, he was attracted by the work of Masaccio, although in many ways he went his own way. Yet, above all, Fra Beato Angelico was a religious artist, whose hand, according to legend, was led by Divine forces, informing the semi-conscious, with eyes full of tears, the master of heavenly visions and their embodiment in frescoes and altar paintings. With some of his works, the master seemed to confirm the veracity of the legend. Such is the fresco of the Annunciation in the monastery of San Marco in Florence. Amazing integrity and simplicity, golden light of the second plan give the creation of Fra Angelico spirituality and beauty. Probably, in a state of ecstasy directed towards God, the artist created a real unreality, presented in the Coronation of Mary from San Marco, where a real Divine vision descended from heaven on the saints clothed in flesh and blood - Jesus Christ and the Mother of God in shining white clothes.
Meeting of Saints Dominic and Francis of Assisi
Around 1434-1435
Lovely and right words the great Russian poet Nikolai Gumilyov spoke about the master in a poem by Fra Angelico written in 1912 (it is noted that poets and artists are very close to each other in terms of attitude). A fragment of it sounds like this:Let heavenly Raphael be great,
Favorite of the god of rocks, Buonarroti,
Da Vinci, witch tasted hops,
Cellini, who gave bronze the secret of flesh.
But Rafael does not warm, but blinds,
Perfection is terrible in Buonarroti,
And da Vinci's hops will stir up the soul,
The soul that believed in bliss
On Fiesole, among thin poplars,
When poppies burn in green grass,
And in the depths of Gothic churches,
Where the martyrs sleep in a cool shrine.
On everything that my master has made, the seal
Earthly love and humble simplicity.
Oh yes, he could not draw everything,
But what he painted is perfect.Under the name of Fra Giovanni da Fiesole great artist Renaissance was buried in Rome, in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. In 1984, a meeting of the Pontifical Council for Culture was held, dedicated to the life and work of Giovanni da Fiesole, at which the unique religious artist was canonized blessed and proclaimed heavenly patron of all artists.
Face of Christ
Around 1435-1437
Madonna and Child with Angels and Saints. Altar of San Domenico 1423-1424
tempera, wood 212 x 237 cm
San Domenico, Fiesole
Madonna and Child with Saints Dominic and Thomas Aquinas
1424-1430 Fresco 196 x 187 cm
State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Madonna of Shadows
Around 1443 FrescoMartyrdom of Saint Stephen. stoning
Lamentation for Christ
Fresco
The condemnation of Saint Lawrence by the emperor Valerian. Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence 1447-1449
Fresco of the Nichollina Chapel, Palazzo Pantifici, Vatican
Pope Sixtus entrusts the treasures of the church to Saint Lawrence. Saint Lawrence Giving Alms to the Poor 1447-1449
Fresco of the Nichollina Chapel, Palazzo Pantifici, Vatican
Adoration of the Magi
Fresco 1440-1442
Position in the coffin Around 1438/40
wood, tempera 37.9 x 46.4 cm
Alte Pinakothek, MunichKiss of Judas 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Communion of the Apostles
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Sermon of Saint Stephen 1447-1449
Fresco of the Nichollina Chapel, Palazzo Pantifici, Vatican
Crucifixion with saints 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Saint Peter communes Stephen as a deacon. Saint Stephen distributing alms 1447-1449
Fresco of the Nichollina Chapel, Palazzo Pantifici, Vatican
Descent from the cross. Altar of the Church of the Holy Trinity 1437-1440
Museum of San Marco, Florence
Last Judgment (Winged Altar) Around 1395
State Museums, Berlin
Scenes from the Life of Christ 1451-1452
Fresco
"Do not touch me" (Noli Me Tangere) 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Altar of Bosco a Frati
Around 1450-1451
Museum of San Marco, Florence
The Apostle James frees the magician Hermogenes from the fetters
Around 1426-1429
wood, tempera, gold 26.8 x 23.8 cm
Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth
Annunciation 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Annunciation Around 1425-1428
wood, gold; tempera 194 cm x 194 cm
Prado, Madrid
Resurrection of Christ 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Jesus being nailed to the cross 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Coronation of the Virgin Mary 1440-1442
Museum of San Marco, FlorenceCoronation of the Virgin Mary. Altar of San Domenico Around 1430-1432
wood, tempera 209 x 206 cm
Louvre, Paris
Baptism of Christ 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Naming John the Baptist
Around 1434-1435
Museum of San Marco, Florence
The mockery of Christ 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Entombment 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Bringing to the temple 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Crucifixion 1420-1423
Crucifixion with Mary, Mary Magdalene and Saint Dominic 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Crucifixion of Christ and two thieves 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Christmas 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Ordination of St. Lawrence 1447-1449
Fresco of the Nichollina Chapel, Palazzo Pantifici, Vatican
Linayol tabernacle (Saints Mark and Peter) 1433
wood, tempera
Museum of San Marco, Florence
Madonna Linaioli
(Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Mark) 1433
Museum of San Marco, Florence
Madonna and Child
Around 1440
Madonna and Child with four angels
Around 1425
Crucifixion with Saint Dominic 1440-1442
Fresco Museum San Marco, Florence
Saint Catherine and John the Baptist Around 1421-1422
tempera and gold on wood translated onto plywood 50.3 x 30.5 cm
Private collection
Saint Zenobius (?) and Saint Agnes Around 1421-1422
tempera and gold on wood, transferred to plywood 50.6 x 30.2 cm
Private collection
