Lippi, Filippo, << LIHP ee, fih LIHP oh >> (1406?-1469), was a leading painter of the Italian Renaissance. He painted religious subjects on altarpieces and in frescoes (paintings on damp plaster) in various towns in Italy. His earlier works show the influence of the Renaissance painters Masaccio and Fra Angelico in their rich colors, deep shadows, and three-dimensional figures. His later paintings are brighter and more decorative and place greater emphasis on line. His most ambitious and best-known works are a series of frescoes (1452-1464) in the Cathedral of Prato that depict scenes from the lives of Saint Stephen and Saint John the Baptist.
Lippi was born in Florence. He became a monk and is sometimes called Fra (Brother) Filippo Lippi. Lippi eloped with a nun in 1456. In about 1457, they had a son, Filippino, who also became a noted Renaissance painter. The couple were later released from their religious vows and married. Filippo Lippi died on Oct. 9, 1469.
