nth century and is
called the Renaissance. The Italians have a method of reckoning the
centuries which differs from ours. Thus we call 1800 the first year of the
nineteenth century, but they call it the first of the eighteenth; so the
painters of what was to us the fifteenth century are called by Italians
the "_quattrocentisti_," or men of the fourteenth century, and while to us
the term "_cinquecento_" means the style of the sixteenth century, to the
Italians the same century, which begins with 1500, is the fifteenth
century.

I shall use our own method of reckoning in my writing; but this fact
should be known to all who read or study art.

The first painter of whom I shall now speak is known to us as FRA
ANGELICO. His name was Guido, the son of Pietro, and he was born at
Vicchio in the province of Mugello, in the year 1387. We know that his
family was in such circumstances that the young Guido could have led a
life of ease; but he early determined to become a preaching friar.
Meantime, even as a boy, he showed his taste for art, and there are six
years in his life, from the age of fourteen to twenty, of which no one can
tell the story. However, from what followed it is plain that during this
time he must somewhere have devoted himself to the study of painting and
to preparation for his life as a monk.

Before he was fully twenty years old, he entered the convent at Fiesole,
and took the name of Fra, or Brother Giovanni; soon after, his elder
brother joined him there, and became Fra Benedetto. Later on our artist
was called Fra Angelico, and again _Il Beato Angelico_, and then,
according to Italian custom, the name of the town from which he came was
added, so that he was at last called _Il Beato Giovanni, detto Angelico,
da Fiesole_, which means, "The Blessed John, called the Angelic, of
Fiesole." The title _Il Beato_ is usually conferred by the church, but it
was given to Fra Angelico by the people, because of his saintly character
and works.

It was in 1407 that Fra Angelico was admitted to the convent in Fiesole,
and after seven years of peaceful life there he was obliged to flee with
his companions to Foligno. It was at the time when three different popes
claimed the authority over the Church of Rome, and the city of Florence
declared itself in favor of Alexander V.; but the monks of Fiesole adhered
to Gregory XII., and for this reason were driven from their convent. Six
years they dwelt at Foligno; then the pl