smaller pictures; in these he surpassed himself, imparting to them a grace and beauty, than which nothing finer could be imagined: examples of this may be seen in the predellas of all the pictures painted by him. He was indeed an artist of such power, that in his own time he was surpassed by none, and even in our days there are very few superior to him: therefore it is that he has not only been always eulogized by Michael Angelo, but in many things has been imitated by that master.
For the church of San Domenico-vecchio, in Perugia, Fra Filippo[1] painted a picture, which has since been placed on the high altar; it represents the Virgin, with San Piero, San Paolo, San Ludovico, and Sant’ Antonio the abbot. The Cavaliere, Messer Alessandro degli Alessandri, also a friend of Fra Filippo, caused him to paint a picture for the church of his country palace at Vincigliata, on the heights of Fiesole, the subject a San Lorenzo and other saints. In this work he depicted the portraits of Alessandro degli Alessandri and his two sons.[2] Fra Filippo was very partial to men of cheerful character, and lived for his own part in a very joyous fashion.
This master instructed Fra Diamante in the art of painting, and the latter executed many works in the church of the Carmine at Prato. He attained to great perfection in the imitation of his master’s manner, and thereby obtained much credit for himself.[3] Among those who studied with Fra Filippo, were Sandro Botticello, Pisello, and Jacopo del Sellajo, a Florentine, who painted two pictures for the church of San Friano, and one in distemper for that of the Carmine,[4] with
- ↑ Some dispute has arisen as to whether the picture here described be the work of Fra Filippo, or that of the Beato Angelico; but the manner of Fra Angelico is altogether different from that of Fra Filippo, as was indeed inevitable from the striking dissimilarity of their characters: the picture in question, divided into three parts, is now in the Chapter-house of the Convent.
- ↑ This work, painted for the Church of Vincigliata, is now in the Casa Alessandri in the Borgo degli Albizzi, but this also has been divided into three.
- ↑ For a notice of this painter, see the work of Baldanzi, before cited. Delle pitture di Fra Filippo, &c.
- ↑ These few words are all the notice we have respecting this painter and his works, nor do we know the fate of the paintings executed for San Friano and the Church of the Carmine. —Ed. Flor. 1849.
