Florence is opening a comprehensive double-venue exhibition of over 140 works by Fra Angelico, the early Renaissance master. The show, titled simply "Fra Angelico," runs at the Museo di San Marco and the Palazzo Strozzi, reuniting dispersed altarpieces and panels for the first time in over two centuries. It traces his evolution from late Gothic to early Renaissance, featuring reconstructed altarpieces with panels gathered from major European and American museums, alongside works by his influences like Masaccio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Lorenzo Monaco.
This exhibition matters because it represents the culmination of decades of evolving scholarship that has reframed Fra Angelico from a sentimental neo-Medieval figure into a pioneering agent of change in early Renaissance art. By reuniting disassembled works—such as the 18-panel San Marco Altarpiece—it offers unprecedented opportunities for direct comparison and understanding of his use of linear perspective and dynamic light. It also continues Palazzo Strozzi's successful series of major Renaissance shows, following its 2022 Donatello exhibition, reinforcing Florence's role as a center for art historical research and public engagement.