1412 -1468 · Florence, illumination and light by Fra Angelico

Delicate gold, crystalline colors and collected figures make Zanobi Strozzi a refined master between Gothic manuscript and early Florentine Renaissance.

Zanobi di Benedetto Strozzi was born in Florence in 1412 and died in this city in 1468. Coming from a wealthy branch of the large Strozzi family, he received training as a painter and illuminator in the Florentine environment where international Gothic met the new research of perspective and light. Giorgio Vasari presents him as a student of Fra Angelico; no formal learning is documented, but stylistic proximity and collaborations are certain. Strozzi worked for a long time in Fiesole then settled in Florence around the mid-1440s. He was mainly documented as a manuscript illuminator. The great Florentine booksellers and cartolai entrusted him with this decoration of liturgical and humanist books intended for the Medici, convents and princely libraries. In letter B showing King David praying, the letter becomes architecture, narrative framework and precious object. Tempera, parchment and gold leaf give the small scene an intensity comparable to that of an altar panel. Strozzi also paints altarpieces and devotional paintings. His signed Annunciation, today at the National Gallery in London, unites late Gothic elegance, orderly space and spiritual clarity. The Altarpiece of Saint Jerome brings together saints, architecture and landscape in a readable composition despite the decorative richness. The Scenes of suzanne's Story shows that he can process a story in several episodes, while the Virgins, angels and processions of the Magi develop a world of restrained gestures and frank colors. After Fra Angelico left for Rome, Strozzi continued an independent activity in Florence. He worked for Santa Maria Nuova, San Marco and important sponsors, while collaborating with other illuminators on the cathedral's choir books. His art is sometimes difficult to distinguish from that of Domenico di Michelino and other close sponsors, while collaborating with other illuminators on the cathedral's choir books. His art is sometimes difficult to distinguish from that of Domenico di Michelino and other close sponsors, while collaborating with other illuminators on the cathedral's choir books. His art is sometimes difficult to distinguish from that of Domenico di Michelino and other close friends of Angelico, a sign of a collective workshop and shared language. Strozzi nevertheless retains his own voice: fine silhouettes, soft faces, brilliant palette and miniature precision which remains sensitive even in large panels. The "Zanobi Strozzi" selection notably compares Scenes from the History of Suzanne and Altarpiece of Saint Jerome. His reading favors drawing.

Strozzi carries the precision of the manuscript into the altarpiece: gold, letter and light organize the same devotional experience.