Minerve

26 July 1500

Becomes a Dominican friar

On 26 July 1500 Baccio della Porta became a Dominican friar and renounced painting for several years. The following year he entered the convent of San Marco in Florence (by other accounts he became a friar of San Marco already in 1500).

1504

Returns to painting as head of the convent workshop

In 1504, at the request of Fra Lucchese Santi Pagnini, later the prior, Fra Bartolomeo obeyed his superior and resumed painting for the benefit of his order as head of the convent workshop.

1504

Friendship with the young Raphael

In 1504 the young Raphael arrived in Florence and befriended Fra Bartolomeo: the friar learned perspective from the younger artist, while Raphael learned colouring and the handling of drapery from him. Their friendship lasted for the rest of their lives.

early 1508

To Venice: a commission for the Dominicans of Murano

At the beginning of 1508 Fra Bartolomeo, drawn by the fame of the great Venetian painters, went to Venice and painted a God the Father with St Mary Magdalene and St Catherine of Siena for the Dominicans of San Pietro Martire on Murano, somewhat influenced by Venetian colourism. As the Dominicans never paid for it, he took the picture back to Lucca, where it remains.

1514

To Rome to see the work of Michelangelo and Raphael

In 1514 (by other accounts 1513) Fra Bartolomeo went to Rome to see the new works of Michelangelo and Raphael and was so impressed that he lost his self-confidence and hurried back to Florence. In Rome he painted a Peter and Paul (now in the Pinacoteca Vaticana), and on leaving he placed two unfinished pictures in Raphael’s hands, which Raphael completed.