Fra Angelico, Santa Trinita Altarpiece (Deposition from the Cross) 1429-32.
This autumn there will be an exhibition, the likes of which only Florence can stage, dedicated to Fra Angelico (c.1395-1465), one of the most significant artists of the Early Renaissance. Across two locations, and with connections to others sites in Italy, Angelico will be the first major display of the artist’s work in over 70 years. It has provided the opportunity to conserve numerous works, and bring more together than ever before.
First recorded as a Dominican friar, his art manages to combine a profound sense of religiosity with the latest innovations of the Florentine Renaissance. As a young artist, he was influenced by painters and sculptors alike, and the exhibition will chart this dialogue, and the subsequent development of his work.
Led by art historian and lecturer Dr Richard Stemp, our two part Short Course examines the Florence into which Fra Angelico was born, the development of his career as seen in the two sections of the exhibition, and his influence on the generations which followed.
Includes two lectures with Q&A. Tickets £20. To book for Part Two please click here.
Session One: Origins
Fra Angelico, (detail) The Last Judgement, 1425-1430. San Marco, Florence
Lecture One — A melting pot: Florence at the beginning of the 15th Century
The exhibition will explore ‘the production, development, and influence of Fra Angelico’s work in dialogue with painters such as Lorenzo Monaco, Masaccio, and Filippo Lippi, as well as sculptors like Lorenzo Ghiberti, Michelozzo, and Luca dellaRobbia’, and in this first talk we look at how the rich tapestry of styles prevalent in Tuscany in the first quarter of the 15th Century would have helped to form the unique style of the ‘Angelic Brother’.
Lecture Two — Fra Angelico: As seen at the Palazzo Strozzi
The second talk of the evening will focus on the developing career of the ‘Angelic Brother’ as embodied by the unfolding display in the Palazzo Strozzi. It will effectively be a ‘virtual tour’ of this section of the exhibition, an introduction to anyone planning to go, a recap for those who have been, or a substitute for those who won’t be able to make it.
This course will be recorded. Ticket holders are emailed a link to view the recordings afterwards which are available for one month. Proceeds from ARTscapades ticket sales benefit museums, galleries and other arts-based organisations and projects.
This is an online event hosted on Zoom which can be watched live with Q&A, or on-demand for one month afterwards. You will receive your link to access the event in your email confirmation and the on-demand link after the event ends.