ublime, while those of
the wicked are almost childish, especially the demons with faces of
cats and jackals, with red eyes and mouths, black bodies and clawed
feet. How much happier he is in the clear and joyful note of colour in
some figures standing before a door on the right! And how much better
we recognise his sweet spirit in the features of the blest, with their
clear eyes whose pupils are fixed trance-like under lightly drawn
eyebrows."[34]

[Illustration: THE LAST JUDGMENT. (Berlin Museum.)]

Another panel with a subject analogous to these is in the Berlin
Museum, and is considered superior to that in the Florentine
Gallery.[35] Although the figure of the Saviour may be slightly
wanting in character, the celestial phalanx is full of grace,
especially the blessed ones who cross a flower-strewn field to be led
by angels up to paradise; they hold each others hands, and dance and
sing delightfully and with graceful action and attitudes raise their
heads to join in the glory of _Colui che tutto move e risplende_

Nel ciel che piu della sua luce prende.

[Illustration: THE VIRGIN OF THE LINEN WEAVERS' GUILD. (Uffizi
Gallery, Florence.)]

[Illustration]

Another last Judgment forms one of the thirty-five small pictures
which adorned the doors of the presses for the silver vessels etc., in
the chapel of the SS. Annunziata. It is generally believed that he
painted this during his stay at Fiesole; but as we find it dates
posterior to this, we shall speak of it later, and must first record
that in 1432 Fra Angelico painted an "Annunciation" for the church of
Sant' Alessandro at Brescia, said to be the one on an altar to the
right on entering the church. So greatly is it transformed by
restorations, that no one in looking at it now would dream that it was
by our artist, if indeed it ever were his work. It would appear that
the restorer had used other models in repainting the Angel and the
Virgin.[36]

[Illustration]

On July 11th 1433 the contract was signed between the Consuls of the
Arte dei Linaioli (Guild of Linen Weavers) and our artist, for the
tabernacle of which they had asked Lorenzo Ghiberti to give a design.
The contract says: "We engage Fra Guido, called Fra Giovanni of the
Order of St. Dominic of Fiesole, to paint for the said Guild, a
tabernacle of Our Lady; to be painted within and without with colours,
gold, azure and silver, all of the very finest that can be found, with
all his art and dilige