Johann Rottenhammer, 'The Coronation of the Virgin', probably 1596-1606
About the work
Overview
This scene is set in heaven, and Rottenhammer has managed to convey its vast scale even in this small space: rows of angels, saints and prophets fill every inch of the painting, and the more distant figures are painted very faintly to create a feeling of expansiveness.
At the top, surrounded by a blaze of celestial light, the Virgin Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven by Christ and God the Father. Just below, Adam and Eve appear among other important figures from the Bible’s Old Testament. Sharing the honour of this upper echelon are the apostles Saint Peter, on the left with the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and Saint Paul, on the far right. The lowest rung is populated with saints and important clerics of the Catholic Church.
Rottenhammer probably made this picture for Cardinal Camillo Borghese, who became Pope Paul V in 1605. He is the bald, bearded figure gazing at the viewer at the lower right.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Coronation of the Virgin
- Artist
- Johann Rottenhammer
- Artist dates
- 1564 - 1625
- Date made
- probably 1596-1606
- Medium and support
- oil on copper
- Dimensions
- 92.7 × 63.5 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1983
- Inventory number
- NG6481
- Location
- Room 26
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Frame
- 18th-century English Frame
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Susan Foister, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The German Paintings before 1800’, London 2024; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1985National Gallery, The National Gallery Report: January 1982 - December 1984, London 1985
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
-
2024S. Foister, National Gallery Catalogues: The German Paintings before 1800, 2 vols, London 2024
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.