We have entered the festive season of December. What better way than to begin the celebration than with Fra Angelico. Last December, ChasingART looked back at the artists who portrayed the Annunciation, the narrative of the angel Gabriel’s message of good tidings to Mary, who would conceive a child to be born the son of God.
Fra Angelico’s Annunciation was the first to be featured on December 3, 2019, so it came as a delightful surprise that my art calendar showcased Fra Angelico’s “The Presentation in the Temple” on December 7, 2020.
What many may not know was that Fra Angelico had a brother, Fra Benedetto who shared his love of art. It is possible that they worked in partnership most of their lives. As young men, they began their creative journey by illuminating manuscripts.
Cosimo de’ Medici invited the brothers to Florence. They decorated the convent of San Marco together – a vast commission that engaged them for many years.
Christmas is a time of family, friends and fellowship. Tonight, I am thinking about two young men who worked together to create art that continues to inspire us centuries after their passing.
