The Intercession of Christ and the Virgin

The Intercession of Christ and the Virgin by Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni)

Medium

Tempera on canvas

Dimensions

Overall: 94 1/4 x 60 1/4 x 1 in. (239.4 x 153 x 2.5 cm)

Classification

Paintings-Canvas

Culture

Italian

Department

The Cloisters

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

The Cloisters Collection, 1953

Accession Number

53.37

Tags

DovesGod the FatherChristVirgin Mary

About this artwork

This monumental tempera painting depicts the intercession of Christ and the Virgin Mary before God the Father, a theme central to late medieval devotional art. Attributed to Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni), a Camaldolese monk and leading painter of late Gothic Florence, the work dates to before 1402. Originally positioned behind the altar of the Trinity at Florence Cathedral, it would have been visible across the church's entire length. The composition shows Mary gesturing to her breast while...

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