To develop his own intimate style, Fra Bartolommeo looked to the most lyrical and harmonious paintings of his fellow artists working in Florence in the first years of the 16th century, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. When the young artist came under the spell of the ardent Dominican reformer Girolamo Savonarola in 1500, he abandoned his artistic career for several years to join the order, becoming Fra (Friar) Bartolommeo. He made this work after his return to painting in 1504, investing it with a new spirituality.
