Catholic Art Saturday/Virgin of the Annunciation

Painted by Fra Angelico (1395-1455)

One of my favorite Renaissance artists, Angelico was beatified by Pope John Paul II who declared him patron of painters. Blessed Angelico said, "He who does Christ's work must stay with Christ always".   He led the devout and ascetic life of a Dominican friar, and never rose above that rank; he followed the dictates of the order in caring for the poor; he was always good-humored. All of his many paintings were of divine subjects, and it seems that he never altered or retouched them, perhaps from a religious conviction that, because his paintings were divinely inspired, they should retain their original form.

It is averred that he never handled a brush without fervent prayer and he wept when he painted a Crucifixion.