Cleveland Museum of Art

Coronation of the Virgin

Master of the Fröndenberg Altarpiece

Date

c. 1410

Medium

tempera and gold on wood

Culture

Germany

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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

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