Fra Angelico is just as famous for his artwork as he is for his holiness.

He was a Dominican friar known as Brother Giovanni of Fiesole, but because of his faithfulness and the beauty of his art, people simply called him the Angelic Brother (in Italian, Fra Angelico—“fra” is a contraction of the Latin word for brother, frater). In 1992, Pope John Paul II beatified him, which made official the holiness implied in his name.

He was born in 1395 in Tuscany. Nothing is known of his parents; he was baptized and named Guido de Pietro. At the age of 22, he had already begun to develop his skill as an artist, but he also felt a calling to dedicate his life to God, and he joined a devotional group at his parish.

By 1423, he had entered the Dominican friars in his hometown and took the name Giovanni. It appears that he came under the tutelage of a brother who worked as an illustrator of sacred texts in the friary. Soon, Giovanni’s own artwork became famous and he was sought after to decorate churches.

In 1436, Giovanni moved to a new friary in Florence with a number of other brothers. He was asked to decorate the new monastery, and his location in Florence put him in touch with many other important artists and patrons of the age. He was later called to Rome to paint frescoes that decorated several chapels at the Vatican.

Brother Giovanni—or Fra Angelico—is described as having a rare and perfect talent, and his paintings and frescoes were completed with an effort of his whole self. Picking up the brush was a prayer for him, and he wept when he painted the crucifixion.

His work was simple—his figures were usually unadorned and carefully arranged. He skillfully used expression and posture in his figures to portray the faithfulness that he sought to exemplify in his own life.

At the same time, Fra Angelico was well-known for his humility and modesty. He embodied the words of his motto: “He who does Christ’s work must stay with Christ always.”

He died while visiting in Rome, and is buried there. The epitaph on his tomb in Rome reads: “When singing my praise, don’t liken my talents to those of Apelles. Say, rather, that, in the name of Christ, I gave all I had to the poor. The deeds that count on Earth are not the ones that count in Heaven. I, Giovanni, am the flower of Tuscany.”

Fra Angelico is patron saint of Catholic artists. Shown here are some of his works, the first is a detail from the fresco, Noli Me Tangere, which depicts Jesus appearing to Mary after the resurrection. The Transfiguration is also pictured here, as is the Annunciation (below).

Blessed Fra Angelico, patron saint of Catholic artists, whose art was aflame with love for Christ—pray for us!