Fra Filippo Lippi the Carmelite Painter

Unlike most monastic artists, Fra Filippo learned to paint only after joining a religious order. In the first section of the book, the author considers how the doctrines, rules, rituals, and practices of the Carmelites shaped Lippi's art and manner of envisioning sacred subjects. In the second section, Holmes discusses Lippi's life and painting after he left the monastery, demonstrating how his mature work broke new ground but continued to draw upon Carmelite influences. The final section of the book looks closely at three altarpieces Fra Filippo painted for monastic institutions and sets them in a broader social and religious context.