The painter of divine beauties, Filippo Lippi, or as he is often
called, Fra Lippo Lippi, was not himself a handsome man. He had rather
a full face, large features, and thick lips. Laziness and love were
always interfering with his work. As a result of extravagance he was
usually in debt, and not always careful to get out honestly. Yet the
people of his time were kind-hearted enough to overlook boyish faults
in an artist who brought so much renown to their country.
Filippo was born into a Florentine butcher’s family about 1402, and his
father died soon afterward. He seems to have had little care from his
mother, who may, however, have died during his infancy. An aunt took
care of him; but, finding the boy too great a burden for her slender
means, turned him over to be educated by the Carmelite friars. The
abbot was lenient; for he had the wisdom to see that a boy who drew
pictures all over the walls and on his books when he should have been
studying would probably become an artist. Artists were highly thought
of in those days, when the church taught by means of pictures. Filippo,
therefore, never learned to write good Latin. He studied the frescos of
the chapel instead. Later, when he had finished his studies and gained
a name for himself among painters, the abbot granted him permission to
leave the monastery in order to give his genius full scope. Monks who
had learned to paint were often allowed this privilege.
So Fra Filippo became a great painter. When he went to Prato and saw
Lucrezia Buti he was already nearly fifty years old, while she was
hardly more than twenty. She also was an orphan. Her father, who had
been a silk merchant in Florence, left his daughters in the care of
Antonio Buti: evidently a harsh guardian, for he put Lucrezia and
Spinetta, both beautiful girls, into the convent of Santa Margherita
against their will, in order to save himself some expense. Filippo
saw her, used her as a model, and later married her by permission of
the Pope. The virgins and saints of his paintings had a new spiritual
radiance after he saw Lucrezia’s face. He used her for all manner
of subjects, from the Virgin to the “Dancing Daughter of Herodias,”
changing her features to suit as many different characters.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, NO. 28, SERIAL NO. 28
[Illustration: HELENA FOURMENT. BY RUBENS]
_THE WIFE IN ART_
_Peter Paul Rubens and Helena Fourment_