CMP Review 2026-04-27

April 27, 2026

“We do not know when he first became known as Beato Angelico. Certainly, a divine spark seemed to illuminate his personality and was reflected in his paintings. It matters not whether he was first and foremost a man of God or an artist; these two aspects of his character were closely intermingled; he drew inspiration from the faith that meant everything to him. He painted for the glorification of God, thereby expressing the very real genius with which he was endowed.

“… Fra Angelico is perhaps too widely famed for his hosts of angels, radiant with gold, serene in their unworldly beauty. But he was no dreamy sentimentalist. That he could face life’s sterner realities is shown by a number of his lesser-known pictures in which he was not afraid to depict the suffering of the body and the spirit—blood and tears.

“… Children will love the rainbow colours, some glowing like jewels, others pastel-tinted and delicate like mother of pearl. In some ways Fra Angelico is a children’s artist. His work has simplicity, freshness and innocence. He himself was humble and sought no honours. He used his gifts to bring people nearer to God and help them to understand Christ’s message to mankind. No poet could have expressed himself with a more lyrical approach. The gory details he did, at times, introduce, were intended to convey a mystic rather than a realistic significance. No other artist passed by ‘trailing clouds of glory’ as did the blessed angelic one—Beato Angelico.” (“Fra Angelico” by Rosemary Wilkinson, PR70)

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