ARS 102 Renaissance to Modern: Module 2 Video 2

• Piero Della Francesca

• Fra Angelico

Piero Della Francesca

Okay, I wanted to say a word, in looking at a couple of different fresco paintings, about the
differences that existed, and they were very real differences, in philosophy and also in painting
that was done for various orders of the Catholic Church in the Quattrocento.

I'm showing you here again, a fresco by Piero Della Francesca. If you remember, we looked at
the Flagellation a lecture or so ago. This is a depiction of the Annunciation by Piero from
approximately the year 1450 and it's located in the Church of San Francesco in Arezzo.
Piero della Francesca. Annunciation. c. 1455. Artstor, library-artstor-org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_10310198009
And this fresco was done - it was a commission by the Franciscan order of monks.

So, as I've mentioned, different orders of the Catholic Church had very different philosophies.
And in fact, we can read some of these philosophies from paintings that these orders
commissioned during the Quattrocento.

Fra Angelico
I'm going to contrast this depiction of the Annunciation with another depiction of the same
scene. Of course, we've looked at already a number of different depictions of the Annunciation
and we're going to see more of them. I'm going to contrast Piero's fresco to this one, by a
painter by the name of Fra Angelico. Fra Angelico was actually a monk himself—excuse me,
he was a friar to be more accurate—and he belonged to the Dominican Order.

Fra Angelico. Convent of San Marco: Annunciation Cell 3. 1438-45. Artstor, library-
artstor-org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_1039488768

And so, we see here Fra Angelico's depiction of the same scene, the Annunciation. I should also
say this fresco is located in the city of Florence in the Church of San Marco and it was
completed a bit earlier than Piero's Annunciation. It was completed between the years 1441 and
1445.

Now the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church really emphasized the spiritual aspect of
Christian subjects. And if you go back to take a look at Piero's depiction of the Annunciation,
you'll see that it would make sense that the Dominican Order wouldn't seek out a painter like
Piero della Francesca to paint the scene.

So why is that the case? And I think I've already mentioned to you, Piero was—for the
Dominican Order—far too concerned with, for example, the workings of geometry and
perspective; he was too concerned with mathematical order; too concerned with the body; and
also, too much concerned with classical elements, that is, elements from Greek and
Roman civilization.

So, what do I mean by that? Let's take a look at this fresco painting. Notice that Piero, in this
painting, really strives to relate the body of Mary—she is standing in this portico here next to a
column, and that is, of course, very conscious—Piero wants you to take a look at that column
and relate it to the body of the Virgin Mary. Notice that the column is slightly swelled towards
its center. Now this was an effect that, in fact, the Greeks began to perfect which is called
entasis.

And actually, Piero was also taking some liberties here because what he's done is not
completely accurate.

Now I mentioned entasis has to do with an actual swelling of the column, so that it is tapered
at the top of the column and then as you go down to the center of the column—and notice that's
the case here in Piero's painting—the center of the column swells out slightly and then it tapers
a little bit down towards the bottom. This is what entasis means and actually, it is a
characteristic of the Doric order.

Remember, we looked at the different orders of classical architecture. And of course, if you
take a close look at the capital of this column, you'll see that this isn't a Doric column at all.
In fact, it's a Corinthian column is more like it.

However, Piero has used the entasis, the swelling of this column, to refer to and to parallel, to
repeat in some ways, the form of the Virgin Mary. And also, to imply the swelling of that form
because of course, the whole subject of this painting is the Annunciation, that is, the miracle of
Mary's impregnation via the Immaculate Conception, right? And then we have above, in the
upper register of this fresco painting we have God the Father and rays of light that again,
represent the actual action of the Immaculate Conception here.

So, Piero makes a reference to Mary here almost like a column, like an element of architecture,
but also, he makes a reference to her as the house of God. And that she is actually, right, almost
the architecture of the Catholic church.
There are other references to Mary as a closed and open door. And the fact that the Virgin Mary
was then open to God's word, and to God's will. And again, I've already mentioned those rays
of light that penetrate into the space that Mary occupies in that portico. And also, a shadow that
we can see falling into that space as well.

Now compare that highly rationalized mathematical even architectural view of the Virgin
Mary's body with what Fra Angelico—remember a Friar of the Dominican Order—with what
he does with the same subject, that is, with the Annunciation.

Where are we here? Well, we're not in a portico but rather we are in a monk's cell. And in
particular, we are in the monastery of San Marco. Fra Angelico has really picked up that
particular space in depicting this setting here with the visit of the angel.

So not only does Fra Angelico pick up the architectural elements of a monk cell in San Marco,
in a way then, this fresco becomes an extension of the very space that this fresco was located in.

Notice too, how beautifully Fra Angelico treats light here and sources of light in this painting.
Notice that the angel actually gives off light in the space. And in fact, Fra Angelico creates a
kind of spotlight effect, which you can see on the far back wall of this monk's cell.

So, there is a reference here also, with this use of light, again to the miracle presence of
Christ—Christ as the light of the world as the Bible says.

Notice too, a very interesting choice by Fra Angelico that he does not foreshorten the halos that
are behind either the angel or the figure of Mary here. So, in some ways, the space that Fra
Angelico creates here actually invites us as viewers to share this vision—to share a vision of
this miracle that is happening in this monk's cell.

Image Citations
Piero della Francesca. Legend of the True Cross; Annunciation. c. 1455. Artstor, library-artstor-
org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_10310198009

Fra Angelico. Convent of San Marco: Annunciation Cell 3. 1438-45. Artstor, library-artstor-
org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_1039488768