Dr. John Paoletti

Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro, c.1400) has been burdened with the alias of "Angelic" since his own time, a descriptor that has skewed our reading of his quite prolific output in paintings, frescoes and illuminations. His vocation as a Dominican monk has also obscured the fact that he worked for some of the most powerful patrons of his time in Florence and Rome, all of which should raise questions about the presumed "innocence" of his painting. I would like to test whether the categories of rhetoric for written arguments during Fra Angelico's give us a new way to understand how a presumed simple monk became the chosen artist both for wealthy citizens and elevated churchmen. And how do we, as viewers, fit into the personal, patronal and religious narratives of Fra Angelico's paintings.