Fra Angelico and the Masters of Light

Fra Angelico's "The Coronation of the Virgin" (1434-1435). Uffizi Gallery © 2010. Photo Scala, Florence courtesy of the Ministero Benie Att. Culturali

For sheer visions of loveliness in heavenly, harmonious colors, the paintings of Fra Angelico (1387-1455) reign supreme. The current show at the Musée Jacquemart-André, “Fra Angelico and the Masters of Light,” does full justice to the great master with 30 beautiful works, set in the context of work by some of his contemporaries.

Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro), a Dominican friar, was caught up in Florence’s flourishing Renaissance and proved himself adept at combining International Gothic pictorial traditions (e.g., storytelling and an emphasis on the mystical qualities of light) with such Renaissance innovations as the use of perspective and more realistic depictions of human figures. Read More

Musée Jacquemart-André: 158, boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris. Métro: Saint-Augustin, Miromesnil or Saint-Philippe du Roule. RER: Charles de Gaulle-Étoile. Tel: 01 45 62 11 59. Open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (until 9:30pm on Monday and Saturday). Admission: €10. Through January 16, 2012. www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com