Friends of Florence and The American Friends of The Prado are pleased to jointly undertake the funding of the restoration of Fra Angelico’s masterpiece, The Annunciation, at The Prado’s renowned restoration laboratory in Madrid. Work began in 2018. The altarpiece was painted for the Monastery of Santo Domenico in Fiesole, in the hills above Florence. The Archangel Gabriel’s Annunciation to Mary occupies the central panel while to the left, Adam and Eve are evicted from Paradise. The beautiful predella, completely intact, illustrates the life of the Virgin; Mary’s birth, Mary’s wedding to Saint Joseph, Mary’s time with her cousin, Saint Elisabeth, the birth of Jesus, the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, and the Virgin with Christ receiving her soul. Many consider this masterpiece to be Fra Angelico’s finest work.
The generous collaboration of Friends of Florence and American Friends of the Prado Museum, which made matching contributions to reach a total of €150,000 euros, with the Prado Museum has facilitated the restoration.
Images (c) Museo Nacional del Prado.
