Filippo Lippi was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance, born around 1406 in Florence. Orphaned as a child, he was raised in a Carmelite monastery, where his artistic talent was discovered. He studied the works of the great painter Masaccio, whose use of perspective and realism deeply influenced him. Lippi’s own paintings combined that realism with graceful lines and delicate color, helping to shape the style of the Florentine Renaissance.

Lippi became one of the most admired painters of his time, known for his religious scenes filled with warmth and humanity. His famous works include The Madonna and Child with Two Angels and frescoes in the cathedral at Prato. His figures are often tender and lifelike, giving sacred subjects a sense of natural beauty and emotion that was new for the period.

Despite his success, Lippi was also known for his adventurous and sometimes troublesome life. He fell in love with a young nun named Lucrezia Buti, who became both his partner and the model for many of his Madonnas. They had a son, Filippino Lippi, who would go on to become a celebrated painter himself. Filippo Lippi died around 1469, leaving behind a legacy that bridged the early and high Renaissance styles and influenced generations of artists after him.