On the other hand, the geographical element needs to be discussed as well. Lippi works in Florence during the time of the Medici (and not any Medici, but the one who encouraged and promoted arts the most, Lorenzo de Medici), and not in Rome. As such, he does not fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Pope, but under that of the Medici, which means that he can enjoy a higher degree of liberalism in his works.

Finally, the biographical element has to be accounted for. As a friar, he meets Lucrezia Buti, who was a nun at the monastery he was painting at the time. He kidnaps her and has a child with her, painting her in numerous Madonna representations. All things considered, Lippi obviously had no problem as an individual to take risks and contest the establishment, which is also something that can be noticed in several of his paintings, including the one discussed here.

Fra Filippo Lippi's work "Madonna with the Child and Two Angels" marks a change from previous paintings with religious themes. First of all, the entire atmosphere is different from paintings such as Masaccio's or even from Fra Filippo Lippi's other works. The somberness and heavy, ceremonial atmosphere gives way to a bucolic ones, where the angels have child-like blonde hair and the Madonna is inspired from the figure of Lippi's consort. Although the painting does not lack religiousness, it is certainly less religious than other works of the Renaissance.

There are several other elements that tend to point in that direction. Although the halos are the elements that predominantly...

The heavy architectural setting that usually includes a throne on which the Madonna sits is now renounced and a simple window looking outside is preferred. The background is also relatively simple and non-religious, including the urban setting in the background.
However, this is still a religious painting and the absence of clear symbols has to be replaced by allusions to religious elements. One such element is the rock formation on the right hand side of the painting. Rocks and mountains are a constant presence in the Bible and their symbolism has different values. In Christian faith, Jesus Christ refers to the apostle Peter as his rock, but the relevance of rocks does not stop here. This is why Lippi includes such a rocky setting in his painting, to complete his work with particular religious elements without making them too obvious. The more liberal Florentine setting in which Lippi works could be an explanation as to why this occurs.

Bibliography

1. Campos, Thais. The Philosophy of Leonardo da Vinci's Paintings. February 2010. On the Internet at http://western-philosophy.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-philosophy-in-leonardo-da-vincis-paintings. Last retrieved on August 21, 2010

Campos, Thais. The Philosophy of Leonardo da Vinci's Paintings. February 2010. On the Internet at http://western-philosophy.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-philosophy-in-leonardo-da-vincis-paintings. Last retrieved on August 21, 2010