The ''Coronation of the Virgin'' is a painting of the Coronation of the Virgin by the Italian early Renaissance painter

Fra Angelico Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro; February 18, 1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari in his '' Lives of the Artists'' as having "a rare and perfect talent".Giorgio Vasari, ''Lives of the Artists''. Pengu ...

, executed around 1432. It is now in the

Uffizi Gallery The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums ...

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

. The artist executed another '' Coronation of the Virgin'' (c. 1434–1435), now in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

History

The work is mentioned as by Fra Angelico in a manuscript of the Biblioteca Nazionale di Firenze,Cod. Magliabe., XVII, 17 and

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work '' The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculp ...

writes that it was located in the church of Sant'Egidio at Florence. Two panels of the

predella In art a predella (plural predelle) is the lowest part of an altarpiece, sometimes forming a platform or step, and the painting or sculpture along it, at the bottom of an altarpiece, sometimes with a single much larger main scene above, but oft ...

which once was part of the work are known; they portray the ''Marriage'' and the ''Funeral of the Virgin'', and are currently exhibited in the museum of

San Marco, Florence San Marco is a religious complex in Florence, Italy. It comprises a church and a convent. The convent, which is now the Museo Nazionale di San Marco, has three claims to fame. During the 15th century it was home to two famous Dominicans, the pa ...

. The altarpiece arrived at the Uffizi in 1825. The current frame dates to this period.

Description

The painting is on a gold ground ( gilded background), a feature of medieval painting, over which is a small paradise where the Coronation is being held. It portrays Christ crowning the Virgin; both are surrounded by rays (executed through an engraving technique above the gilded background) which symbolize the divine light. The painting has a mystic tone found in other Fra Angelico works, with a large crowd of saints, angels and blessed figures enhancing this aspect. On the left, in the foreground, is St. Egidius, titular of the church which originally housed the work. His face is perhaps modelled on that of Antonino Pierozzi, the former prior of the convent of San Marco to which Fra Angelico belonged. He is followed by

Zenobius of Florence Saint Zenobius ( it, San Zanobi, Zenobio) (337–417) is venerated as the first bishop of Florence. His feast day is celebrated on May 25. Life Born of a Florentine noble family, Zenobius was educated by his pagan parents. He came under the ...

, St. Francis and St. Dominic. On the right side are female saints, including a kneeling Mary Magdalene. In the last rows are musician

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...

s. The structure of the work and the use of brilliant colors shows the influence of Angelico's master, Lorenzo Monaco, who executed another '' Coronation of the Virgin'', also in the Uffizi.

References

Sources

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{{Fra Angelico 1430s paintings Paintings by Fra Angelico Paintings in the Uffizi

Altarpieces