El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-02-05
Paintings of Celebrated Artists:
"The Madonna of the Tabernacle"

! donna Of the Taaernacle.' for the
linen diapers guild.
ssThe st. John OF Art.
The significance Of the painter, S
name is evident when We review his
noble life. This mild and peaceful
painter was called the St John Of
Art" So appropriate is his surname
OF Angelica that Il has almost been
forgotten that 80 never right1uly be
longs TO him. but that he was christ
ened Guido Petri- At the age OF 20
he entered the Dominican convent at
Ffesole near Florence, under the name
Of Fra Giovanni Here his life work
manifested itself Learned Monks
might write Of heaven. but his calling
was TO paint heaven before the eyes
Of all ie began MS painting as
miniaturist- The Bible stories were
told in painting because most Of the
people could not read or write. except
the Monks who devoted their lives to
the study o. language and writing.
Fra Angelica worked with his brother
as an illuminator OF choral books and
missals. Later in life he was ordered
to the monastery OF san Marco in
Florence. and with this interesting
place, his name VIII always be closely
Connected.
Was Humble. Devoted.
he lived there in the quietness OF
NE and in humble devotion; working
at the command Of the prior; IA king
no gain or payment for himself alter
ing nothing because he believed his
inspiration 10 come from God; paint
ing Christ and Mary only on his
knees. and his crucifiXes amid floods
OF tears" He painted on the walls
of the cells OF the friars wonderful
frescoes which are still there, family
faded, less like a picture at all than
some celestial shadow on the gray old
walls" An eloquent writer has pic
= Ha A n
all actions we're prescribed, and all
objects colorless; day after day uni
form hours brought him the same
bare walls. the same dark lustre OF
the wainsCotiug, the same straight
folds Of the cowls and frocks, the
fro between refectory and chapel But
amid this monotony his heart invol-
unfairly summoned Up and contem-
plated the conc curse Of divine figures.
Glittering staircases Of jasper and
amethyst rose above each other NJ
to the throne on which sat celestial
beings. Golden aureOles cleaned
around their brOWs. red. azure and
green robes, fringed. oordered, and
striped with gold. flashed like glories.
All was light: it was the outburst Of
mystic illumination"
A Fair Monk
In many o. Fra Angeiico's works,
and especially IN his piece. The Last
Judgment" we find that even though
he was a monk. he distributed his re-
wards and puuishments very fairly.
for in the assembly OF the wicked,
many friars and even bishops are pic
tured there.
Thus the artist spent a quiet clois-
ter life for nearly forty years But
In 1446 his fame having spread to
Rome, the reignlng pope called him
TO the Vatican, where he decorated a
chapel with frescoes with histories OF
Saints Lawrence and Stephen Be
cause Of the painters goodness and
piety, the pope offered him the arch
bishopric Of Florence. but Angelica |
refused saying that he did not feel
himself capable Of ruling men. and
requested that another be appointed. /
There iu Rome he died and was buried
in the church Of Santa Maria Sopra
Minerva While other artists Of his
time were studying anatomy, he
worked TO depict visions Of the spirit /
When we look at his holy faces. we
can understand why he was called Z
Fra Angelica and almost canonized I'll (
Beato," 50 that in Italian catalogues !
he is usually entered as "Beato An +
gelico.' His range was narrow. says
q critic, but within its own limits Z
comes as near perfection as human (
art can reach. To him has been ap-
piled this term: The late blooming /
flower OF a bygone age