Fra Angelico
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This panel come from the predella (lowest part) of the altarpiece made for the high altar of San Domenico in Fiesole, Italy. Fra Angelico was a Dominican friar (a member of the religious order founded by Saint Dominic) as well as a painter. The church was attached to his own convent—so although he made two other altarpieces for it, he was not paid for his work.
Predellas usually showed narrative scenes of the lives of the saints who were depicted in the main part of the altarpiece. This one is unusual: it shows Christ in glory in heaven, surrounded in the central scene by angels. This is framed by two panels showing rows of saints (which we present today) and Old Testament figures. These in turn are enclosed on either side by blessed Dominican figures who were holy and revered but not saints.
Today is All Saint's Day, a Christian festival celebrated in honor of all the saints, known and unknown; so that matches today's Fra Angelico!
P.S. Fra Angelico worked for Cosimo de Medici. The Medici were one of the richest family dynasties that ever lived and perhaps the most influential patrons of the arts in history. Were they rich sinners or rather saintly rulers? Read here!
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