Renaissance in Madrid: Its Origins and Fra Angelico

Car Brandon Strehlke, curator emeritus of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, has commissioned an exhibition that will transport us back in time. You don’t have to travel to Italy to study the Florentine Renaissance, as Madrid has an exhibition that will captivate many visitors. The exposition revolves around the years 1420-1430 with special attention to the painter Fra Angelico, a great master of that time. This exhibition attempts to present a chronology of Fra Angelico’s earliest works.

Beatified by John Paul II, Fra Angelico was born in Florence in 1390 and is considered one of the great artists of the Renaissance. He pioneered this movement together with other artists such as Massaccio, Masolino, Uccello and Filippo Lippi. Fra Angelico is famous for his works with religious themes, as he was known as a highly devoted man. For art lovers, specifically of the Renaissance, the central work of this exhibition is The Annunciation.

The Annunciation is considered to be the first Florentine work in Renaissance style that uses perspective and more rectangular arches. Made of gold and tempera on panel, it was painted in 1426. It is known as a key work in the transition between Gothic painting and the Renaissance.

Along with this masterpiece, this exhibition will also include the recent acquisitions of the Prado Museum: The Virgin of Granada and the Funeral of San Antonio Abad, both by Fra Angelico. These paintings belonged to the private collection of the Duke of Alba.

The journey to the beginnings of the Renaissance begins on May 28th and ends on September 15th at the Prado Museum. The ticket will include an illustrated catalogue published in Spanish and English. The nearest Metro station is Banco de España (L2), just two stops from Puerta del Sol, where our hotel is located.

Categories: Exposiciones Madrid