The Coronation of the Virgin
15th century
Medium
Alabaster with polychromy and gilding
Dimensions
40 × 27.3 cm (20 1/2 × 13 in.)
Classification
relief
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
68456
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 15th-century English alabaster relief captures the Coronation of the Virgin, a beloved theme in medieval Christian art where Christ crowns Mary as Queen of Heaven. Carved from alabaster—a soft, luminous stone favored by English artisans—the piece measures just over 15 inches tall and features traces of original polychromy and gilding that once brought vivid color and shimmering highlights to the scene. Such reliefs were often part of larger altarpieces installed in churches and chapels across England and Europe. Alabaster carvings like this one reflect the devotional fervor of ...