LINAIUOLI ALTARPIECE

(1433, Florence, Museo di San Marco)

Commissioned by the Arte dei Linaiuoli, theGuildof Linen Merchants, fromFra Angelicofor their meeting house in the Piazza Sant' Andrea inFlorence, thistriptychis the artist's first dated work and major commission (the frame was executed byLorenzo Ghiberti). When closed, the triptych shows Sts.Peterand Mark, this last the guild's patron, standing against dark backgrounds. Both figures are solid, with heavy draperies, and stern expression, rendered in the style ofMasaccio. When opened, the triptych presents anEnthronedVirginand Childwith St. Mark again appearing in the right panel andSt.John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence, occupying the left. Here, Fra Angelico provided a contrast between the homely saints and the delicate, graceful Virgin. As customary, thepredella features narratives that relate to the altarpiece's main scenes. These areSt.Peter Preaching, theAdoration of the Magi, and theMartyrdom of St.Mark. In this triptych, Fra Angelico introduced a more believable setting than those of his predecessors by substituting curtain panels for the usual gilded background, thereby granting the impression of a fully defined interior space.