LITMIR.BIZ

      The reverse side of this altarpiece presents twenty scenes from the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ, as well as eighteen scenes from the lives of Jesus and Mary in the predella. Though the influence of tradition and the imitation of Greek artists is noticeable in many of the individual scenes, the altarpiece as a whole is treated with true liberty and shows a markedly Italian influence. The eight angels that immediately surround the Virgin’s throne, lean in and contemplate the holy Child at the centre of the composition with indulgence, abandon, and love. They are no longer the solemn and respectful Byzantine attendants to the throne, but are rather the friends and intimate companions of the Lord and his Holy Mother.

      This painting was of great importance to Fra Giovanni, because it shows so many scenes from the life of Christ and Mary, and because it is entirely penetrated by traditional ideas and techniques. In the same way that the best ancient Greek and Roman artists won renown by perfecting and ennobling long-consecrated and generally admitted types, the best Italian artists of the fifteenth century still remained faithful to the fundamental forms of traditional iconography. It was not that they wanted to strictly follow established concepts, but rather that they did not readily break from these traditions without serious motives and consideration. It was only the artists of the sixteenth century that wished to do away with the old forms in a destructive outburst of unmeasured individualism. It is important to study how Fra Angelico assimilated traditional techniques, to what degree he transformed them, and to know how these changes were related to his character and the proposed purpose of his works. He clearly studied the most significant paintings of Duccio, and was influenced by them when he painted the same subjects, though he never copied Duccio slavishly.

      Though Fra Angelico might have examined the mature work of Duccio with deference, he probably preferred the large fresco Simone Martini painted for Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico in 1317 (Maestà). Here again the enthroned Virgin is surrounded by angels and saints, yet the painting breathes with more freshness and freedom. Angelico would have been less attracted to the Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s famous allegories in the same building. Angelico was probably not charmed by works of this nature, where speculation seeks to ally itself with emotional fantasy. But he certainly must have admired the still powerful frescoes representing the Death of Mary, her Funeral and her Assumption, that Taddeo di Bartolo had recently finished in the proud Palace of the Republic.

      A painting currently held in Munich and attributed to Bartolo (circa 1401), shows the Assumption of the Holy Virgin (The Assumption). It contains elements that would be seen later in Fra Angelico’s paintings of the Coronation of Mary. A choir of angels singing and playing various musical instruments surrounds the Virgin, while other celestial messengers sound long trumpets in a call to rejoice.

      The pleasant and graceful Coronation of Mary in Siena’s town hall, which now most brings to mind Fra Angelico’s work, was painted in 1445 by Sano di Pietro, and did not exist at the time of Fra Angelico’s visit. Sano di Pietro, born in 1406 († 1481), was an only child at the time, and could not have had any contact with Fra Giovanni. If Angelico was probably taken by the works of Simone Martini, he also would have warmed at the sight of Pietro’s paintings depicting the life of Saint Martin at the Church of San Francesco of Assisi. Yet for Angelico, as for all of the church’s visitors, these paintings would have paled in comparison to the masterpieces of Giotto. Giotto’s works prove that it is not the number of motifs that creates a positive effect, but rather, the clear thoughts presented with a limited means of expression. Giotto’s compositions would have confirmed the tastes of an artist in search of precise lines, pure colours, and clear thoughts.

      8. Taddeo di Bartolo, The Assumption (triptych), 1401. Tempera on wood panel, 420 × 525 cm. Duomo, Montepulciano.

      9. Ottaviano Nelli di Martino, Madonna del Belvedere, 1404. Tempera on stone. Santa Maria Nuova, Gubbio.

      10. The Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels (central panel of Guidalotti polyptych), c. 1437. Tempera on wood panel, 130 × 77 cm. Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, Perugia.

      Not far from Cortona can be found the town of Gubbio, where in 1404, Ottaviano Nelli († 1414) had just painted the fresco, Madonna del Belvedere. All of Fra Giovanni’s favorite hues are already found here. Behind the enthroned Mother of God hover two angels holding a robe of honour. Above them, God, the Holy Father, is surrounded by a glory of angels holding the crown destined for Mary’s head. On each side at the bottom of the painting stands a tall angel, one with a lute, one with a violin. In the upper reaches, two small angels play the organ and harp. Mary’s feet rest on a round cushion, and she holds the Child, who rests on her right knee, in both hands. She leans devotedly toward him, asking for the benediction of the donor’s wife, kneeling to the right. An angel with the same attitude seems to commend the donor’s wife to the Madonna. Behind this group rises a tall saint holding a palm frond and a book. The donor kneels to the other side, under the patronage of the hermit Saint Anthony, who is also painted with large proportions, extending his left hand towards the head of his protégé.

      “This masterpiece of Ottaviano, a simple assembly of human figures of different proportions juxtaposed on an azure background, gives the joyous impression of a miniature. The superb colour choices are sometimes limited, but their brilliant hues produce an effect that is not at all artificial.

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