Artist 38: Fra Angelico

Fra Angelico is another of my favorite Italian Renaissance artists, someone whose work I really admire and one of the first names that comes to mind with the phrase "Italian Renaissance." Born in c. 1395, Fra Angelico was a Dominican friar.

My favorite painting done by him, with no surprise here, is the "Annunciation." Honestly, I think I just love angels because they are so pretty and...angelic. However these paintings of the Annunciation done by him, Leonardo, and Simone Martini rank as my favorite because they are done so well and so elegantly, they bring out the importance of this event. The background is part of what catches my attention, the columns are so elaborate, along with the vegetation of the trees behind the fence, and even the grass. They don't compare to the beauty of the figures, however they create a fantastic balance which is perfect for this piece. This piece reminds me that the background is important also, regardless of how tedius it seems.