The altarpiece is in five parts: the outside wings on each side showing various Dominican worthies in black looking in towards the centrepiece of Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven; with the middle left wing showing The Virgin Mary with the Apostles and Other Saints kneeling and looking towards the centrepiece; and on the middle right is The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs. The colours are gloriously vibrant and inventive and the golden background and haloes simply glow. Is this how Fra Angelico sees heaven? All five panels are on the National Gallery website.
I'd like to be able to read these paintings properly, by understanding the symbols of their sainthood, but I can't. I was particularly taken with the figure of one man who looks straight out of the altarpiece at the viewer, wearing a red and gold cap and holding a page of writing - does anyone know who this is meant to be and what the writing says? He's the only figure that looks at the viewer and as such is quite noticeable. I'd love to know who he is.
I'm regularly within a few minutes walk of the National Gallery so, now that I know where the altarpiece is, it'll be easy enough to pop in for a quick gawp and top up my internal store of wonder. It's a shame the paintings aren't available as postcards but you can order prints of all five pieces if you fancy it.
2 comments:
My National Gallery book (15th Century Italian Paintings; volume 1) says that this is Moses, holding the two tablets of law.
Thanks Martin!
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