Compagnia di San Francesco Altarpiece

The altarpiece Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome, John the Baptist, Francis and Onophrius is known as the Compagnia di San Francesco Altarpiece.

Fra Angelico’s renown extended beyond the congregations of his Order. In accord with the mission of Saint Dominic to evangelize, the friar expressed the lessons of his faith for numerous clients. Documents demonstrate that a range of patrons sought his work throughout the 1420s. In 1429, the penitential confraternity of San Francesco, which met in the cloister of Santa Croce, paid Fra Angelico (‘frate Guido’) for its altarpiece. Though the altarpiece was cut apart at some point in its history, its components have been identified. The central and lateral panels are in the Museo di San Marco, Florence, while the predella panels are dispersed in various collections.