How did Masaccio influence Fra Filippo Lippi’s early paintings?

Fra Filippo Lippi’s early artistic development was profoundly shaped by his time at the convent of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, where he was exposed to the frescoes of Masaccio in the Brancacci Chapel. These works served as Lippi’s first significant encounter with art, and their influence remained a foundational element of his style.12

Masaccio’s impact on Lippi is particularly evident in the following ways:

• Sculptural Treatment: Lippi adopted the sculptural quality of Masaccio’s figures, a characteristic that persisted in his work for years. In early altarpieces like the Barbadori Altarpiece (1437), this influence is clear, though Lippi eventually integrated it into a style that emphasized linear definition, resembling the low-relief sculptures of Donatello.12
• Compositional Foundations: Lippi’s early works, such as his Madonna and Child (c. 1440), drew directly from the models established by Masaccio, specifically referencing the Madonna from the Pisa altarpiece.2
• Evolution of Style: While Lippi initially relied on the plastic values and monumentality championed by Masaccio, his later works—such as his second Coronation of the Virgin (c. 1444)—show a transition toward the more serene, lyrical chromatics associated with Fra Angelico.1