Saint Alexander
Original title: Saint Alexander
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1425 Fra Angelico painted Saint Alexander as a bishop, a small devotional panel in tempera on wood laid on gold. The idealized figure was made in Florence and counts among the early witnesses of the Renaissance.
Description
The saint stands before us in liturgical vestments: a red robe patterned in gold, a white mantle over it, and the bishop's mitre on his head. His right hand holds a bishop's staff topped with a cross, his left a finger-shaped attribute. The dark blue ground stands out against the richly ornamented gold frame, whose circles and lines enclose the picture field. The saint's gaze is grave and thoughtful.
Context
Guido di Pietro, known as Fra Angelico, was working in Florence as a painter of religious panels when this likeness was made. Judging by its small size, it was probably intended for private devotion. Which saint named Alexander is meant cannot be established with certainty by art historians, since several saints of that name were venerated.
Impact
Luminous colors and the bishop's solemn bearing create a calm, contemplative mood. The gold frame and the dark background push the figure forward and wrap the image in a sacred aura.
Technique
Tempera on wood, the gold ground a characteristic of religious panel painting of that era. Clear color separation and precise brushwork testify to Fra Angelico's careful manner of working. Gold and costly pigments attest to the high esteem in which the figure was held.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)