The Death of the Virgin

The painting known as The Death of the Virgin was executed in 1485 by Bartolomeo Vivarini using tempera on panel, a work classified as religious art. Its creation is documented in contemporary records that attribute the piece to the Venetian painter and place its execution in the late fifteenth century. Since its completion, the work has been part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on public display, indicating a continuous provenance that traces from the artist’s workshop to the museum’s custody. The dating is anchored to the year 1485, as recorded in the source material.

The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. According to the Wikidata record, its location is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it forms part of that institution's holdings as a work by Bartolomeo Vivarini dated 1485. No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.

The work, executed in tempera on panel with dimensions of 189.9 by 149.9 cm, depicts the Death of the Virgin with accompanying figures of Christ, Mary, and angels.

The Death of the Virgin by Bartolomeo Vivarini, executed in tempera around 1485, is represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where its inclusion in the museum’s collection has sustained scholarly interest in late‑fifteenth‑century Venetian religious painting. The work’s iconography, depicting the moment of the Virgin’s death surrounded by angels and Christ, exemplifies the devotional emphasis of the period and has been cited in studies of devotional art in Northern Italy. Its preservation and public display have contributed to a continued reputation as a significant, though relatively obscure, example of the era’s artistic treatment of Marian mortality, influencing later interpretations of death imagery in Renaissance art.

Bartolomeo Vivarini's The Death of the Virgin, executed in 1493, depicts the Dormition of the Virgin Mary within a domestic interior that opens onto a landscape of green hills and distant architecture. The composition centers on the Virgin lying in state on a bed, surrounded by the apostles who display varied gestures of grief and contemplation. Vivarini arranges the figures in a semi-circle, utilizing bright robes of red, blue, and gold to create a rhythmic visual flow that guides the viewer's eye across the scene.

Above the earthly gathering, a luminous figure of the Virgin ascends, encircled by a host of small angels holding symbolic objects such as scrolls and musical instruments. Painted in tempera, the work reflects the artist's late style, bridging the rigorous spatial logic of the Venetian Quattrocento with a heightened emotional intensity characteristic of his final years. Created near the end of Vivarini's career, this altarpiece demonstrates his mastery in balancing narrative clarity with decorative richness, maintaining the devotional focus typical of Venetian religious art while showcasing his distinctive handling of light and color.

The theme of the Dormition or Death of the Virgin was a widely revered subject throughout medieval and Renaissance Christian art. It served to emphasize Mary's unique role in salvation history and her ultimate glorification. Such depictions were often commissioned for churches and devotional spaces, providing the faithful with a visual aid for contemplating divine mysteries and the promise of eternal life.