The Coronation of the Virgin, and Saints
Medium
Tempera on wood, gold ground
Dimensions
Overall, with shaped top and engaged frame, 78 3/8 x 76 in. (199.1 x 193 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Robert Lehman, 1950
Accession Number
50.229.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Coronation of the Virgin, and Saints* (1394), a magnificent tempera on wood panel by Sienese artist Giovanni di Tano Fei. This large-scale work, measuring nearly 78 by 76 inches with its ornate shaped top and engaged frame, depicts the triumphant moment when Christ crowns the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven, surrounded by adoring angels and saints. The lavish gold ground, a hallmark of Italian Gothic panel painting, bathes the scene in ethereal light, evoking the divine splendor of paradise. Created in late 14th-century Siena—a vibrant hub of religious art amid the Black Death's af...