The church of Santa Maria del Carmine is a very famous church in Florence for the cycle of frescoes which decorate the walls of the chapel of the Florentine merchant Felice Brancacci who in 1423 commissioned Masolino da Panicale and his pupil Masaccio to carry out the work.

Cappella Brancacci Florence

The church was begun in 1268 and was only completed in 1476. The church was devastated by a fire in 1771, but was rebuilt in 1775.

The interior is a single nave on the plan of a Latin cross, with five chapels on each side. Of the various paintings in the chapels,  we find the Crucifixion by Vasari in third chapel. The ceilings and the vault of the nave are also entirely covered with frescoes.

History of Cappella Brancacci

The Cappella Brancacci was built between 1597 and 1612, it leads to a series of rooms where you can admire the works of various artists. But the most famous cycle of frescoes is the one that tells the Stories of Saint Peter, the work was begun by Masolino and Masaccio in 1424. This cycle of frescoes is a fine example of the transition from late-medieval art and Humanism to the Renaisaance and through this work it is possible to compare the two periods. The style of Masolino seems to be linked to the elegance of the late-Gothic period, permeated with tranquillity and optimism despite the dramatic subject matter. The style of Masaccio stands out for its expressive power and lively narrative, characteristics belonging to the 16th century.

Masaccio and Cappella Brancacci

Masaccio was a great innovator of Renaissance painting. He used foreshortened perspective and his figures are highly realistic. This is the reason why we say that tradition and innovation find their place in this chapel, without however, disturbing the unity and harmony which dominates the whole art work. Filippo Lippi had to take this into account when he continued the work of his predecessors, actually he adapted his style to maintain  the harmony of the whole.