Kneeling Fra Angelico Angel in Blue from SUMMIT COLLECTION

The Early Renaissance Painter Fra Angelico (1395-1455) is known for his religious compositional paintings that influenced a more modern style of painting. His extraordinary talent, described as "rare and perfect," earned him favor with important patrons and two Popes. In 1982, Pope John Paul II officially recognized his holiness in life by declaring his "beautification," granting him the title of "Blessed."

Fra Angelico, also known as the angelic friar, was celebrated by enthusiasts in the nineteenth century for the spiritual and lyrical qualities of his works, particularly in frescoes and altarpieces. One of his most famous works is the Assumption and Dormition of the Virgin Mary, originally created in 1434 as part of a set of four reliquaries for the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. Even today, Fra Angelico's iconic angels continue to exude a sense of adoration and serenity in his paintings.

The Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, acquired this rare painting in 1899. This particular angel is a derivative piece of art, with the intention of translating one of the kneeling angels from a 2-dimensional image into a detailed 3-dimensional representation based on the original painting.

product information: