The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Saints - Fra Bartolommeo - Framed art Print

Born in Florence on 28th March 1472, Fra Bartolommeo (1472–1517) was a prominent painter during the High Renaissance. He died in the same city on 31st October 1517. He trained with Cosimo Rosselli and later collaborated with Mariotto Albertinelli, a fellow student, to establish a studio around 1494. Unfortunately, little remains of his early work since he reportedly destroyed his secular art, influenced by Girolamo Savonarola's vehement sermons against materialism.

Savonarola's execution in 1498 deeply affected him, and by 1500, he abandoned painting to become a novice at Prato's Dominican convent. The subsequent year, he took his vows, changed his name to Fra Bartolommeo, and relocated to Florence's S. Marco convent, famous for its Fra Angelico artwork.

In 1504, he was permitted to paint again by the convent's prior, dedicating the rest of his life to religious art. By 1508, he dominated Florence's art scene, with only Andrea del Sarto challenging him in the early 1520s. Leonardo's influence is evident in Bartolommeo's work, bearing similarities to Raphael's pieces. His signature paintings often depicted the Madonna and Child with Saints or the Holy Family, featuring dignified figures in timeless apparel, set against indistinct backdrops.