Tangible Devotion: A Tactile Understanding of Fra Angelico’s Virgin Enthroned

During his transition from Florence to Rome in the late 1440s, Fra Angelico painted a small, octagonal, double-sided panel entitled Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Peter, Paul, and George, Four Angels, and a Donor. Virgin Enthroned is not a static art piece; rather, the physical qualities of this panel reveal that this is an object that is meant to be held closely, turned over, and passed from hand to hand. By understanding the tactile qualities of this painting and imagining the spatial and physical environment it would have inhabited, it is possible to examine the psychological and spiritual narratives within Virgin Enthroned. Through this methodology I seek to “embody” the piece, understanding its spiritual impact through its sensory qualities. Activated by the physical presence of the viewer, this tiny panel encapsulates the complex relationship between art, religious devotion, civic engagement, and the gendered gaze in quattrocento Italy.