Fra Angelico

For as long as I've been exposed to Christian art, I've always found it rather repetitive and uninteresting. I'm starting to realize that my opinion is a little biased because there's a lot of beauty to be found in some, including early Renaissance Christian art.

I chose to do my artist/artwork presentation for art history on an Annunciation fresco by Fra Angelico, a Dominican monk/painter from Florence whose artwork is just beautiful. The scenes he creates are so serene and elegant. They're filled with so much spirit and soft light.
I find it unique how Fra Angelico portrayed Mary in comparison to how she was being portrayed in Christian art from the Middle Ages. Normally she's shown wearing bold, dark blue that makes her the immediate focal point of a piece of art. But here the colors are pale. I like it when Mary seems more like a real person instead of an exalted queen.