Coronation of the Virgin

c. 1410

Master of the Fröndenberg Altarpiece

(German)

Culture

Germany

Medium

tempera and gold on wood

Measurements

Framed: 77 x 59.5 x 8 cm (30 5/16 x 23 7/16 x 3 1/8 in.); Unframed: 64.8 x 47.5 cm (25 1/2 x 18 11/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Friends of The Cleveland Museum of Art 1929.920

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Location

111 German and Austrian Gothic

Did You Know?

This is only one panel from what would have been a large altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin.

Description

This panel once formed the left wing of an altarpiece originally located in a Cistercian convent in the German town of Fröndenberg. The Coronation of the Virgin was a common subject; though it is not based on a biblical text it often appeared in medieval books of hours as a focus of contemplation. It represents the culminating event in the life of Mary. Here, Christ and the Virgin are housed in an architectural setting; the Virgin kneels before Christ as he crowns her in the company of a group of angels. The color palette is particularly rich: pink, deep red, blue, and a delicate green as well as large areas of gold leaf. The well-developed, proportional figures, modeled drapery, and detailed architectural throne suggest an artist with a high level of experience and sophistication.