Fra Angelico, born Guido di Pietro, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari as having a 'rare and perfect talent'. He was a Dominican friar, which heavily influenced his art and earned him the name Fra Angelico, meaning 'Angelic Friar'. His works are renowned for their serene piety, luminous color, and graceful figures, particularly his frescoes at the Convent of San Marco in Florence. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1982 and was later made the patron of Catholic artists.