Agnolo Gaddi, 'The Coronation of the Virgin', about 1380-85
About the work
Overview
The Virgin Mary is crowned by Christ, her son, after her ascension to heaven. The episode was very popular in Florentine painting, where it formed the central panel of polyptychs (multi-panelled altarpieces), usually flanked by images of saints. It has been suggested that two panels showing two standing saints – Peter and James on one, and Bartholomew and Anthony Abbot on the other (now in the Pinacoteca Nazionale di San Matteo, Pisa) – were the original right-hand panels in this altarpiece. They may have been painted by a member of Gaddi’s workshop.
Close examination of the angels' wings reveals that individual feathers have been drawn by scratching through the pastel paint shades with a very fine sharp tool, revealing the gold leaf beneath.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Coronation of the Virgin
- Artist
- Agnolo Gaddi
- Artist dates
- documented 1369; died 1396
- Date made
- about 1380-85
- Medium and support
- egg tempera on wood
- Dimensions
- 183.6 × 94.3 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1857
- Inventory number
- NG568
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 19th-century Frame
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.