Akademik

(1433, Florence, Museo di San Marco)

   Commissioned by the Arte dei Linaiuoli, the Guild of Linen Merchants, from Fra Angelico for their meeting house in the Piazza Sant' Andrea in Florence, this triptych is the artist's first dated work and major commission (the frame was executed by Lorenzo Ghiberti). When closed, the triptych shows Sts. Peter and Mark, this last the guild's patron, standing against dark backgrounds. Both figures are solid, with heavy draperies, and stern expression, rendered in the style of Masaccio. When opened, the triptych presents an Enthroned Virgin and Child with St. Mark again appearing in the right panel and St. John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence, occupying the left. Here, Fra Angelico provided a contrast between the homely saints and the delicate, graceful Virgin. As customary, thepredella features narratives that relate to the altarpiece's main scenes. These are St. Peter Preaching, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Martyrdom of St. Mark. In this triptych, Fra Angelico introduced a more believable setting than those of his predecessors by substituting curtain panels for the usual gilded background, thereby granting the impression of a fully defined interior space.