Artwork
The Coronation of the Virgin, and Saints
The Coronation of the Virgin, and Saints is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Giovanni di Tano Fei. It dates from 1398 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This tempera painting depicts a celestial event, the Coronation of the Virgin, surrounded by a host of saints.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work’s religious meaning emphasizes the triumph of the Church and the exaltation of Mary as Queen of Heaven, a theme common in late‑medieval devotional art.
The Coronation of the Virgin, and Saints depicts the heavenly coronation of the Virgin Mary, with Christ crowning her while angels and assorted saints witness the event. The composition follows traditional iconography in which Mary is shown enthroned, Christ bestows the crown, and celestial musicians and holy figures flank the scene, symbolizing divine authority and the intercessory role of the saints. The work’s religious meaning emphasizes the triumph of the Church and the exaltation of Mary as Queen of Heaven, a theme common in late‑medieval devotional art.
Executed by Giovanni di Tano Fei in 1394 using tempera on panel, the painting was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Giovanni di Tano Fei executed this tempera panel painting, titled The Coronation of the Virgin, and Saints, in 1394. The work was created on a wooden panel measuring approximately 199.1 by 193 centimeters. While the specific original commissioner and the detailed ownership chain prior to its current location are not detailed in the available records, the painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The piece depicts a religious scene featuring the Coronation of the Virgin alongside Christ, Mary, angels, and various saints. The inception date is firmly established as 1394, marking its creation in the late fourteenth century.
The altarpiece titled The Coronation of the Virgin, and Saints, painted by Giovanni di Tano Fei in 1394, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It belongs to the museum's collection, though the specific inventory or accession number is not recorded in the available documentation. The work has not been noted in the cited sources as having been part of any special exhibitions, and its display history remains limited to its permanent placement within the museum's galleries.
Overview
This tempera painting depicts a celestial event, the Coronation of the Virgin, surrounded by a host of saints. Executed on a panel, the composition features figures rendered in vibrant, flat colors against a luminous gold background, characteristic of its period. A series of smaller narrative scenes, known as a predella, adorns the lower edge, adding further detail to the overall devotional work.
Technique & Style
The artwork employs tempera paint, a medium created by mixing pigments with egg yolk, which allowed for the creation of brilliant, enduring colors. The figures are depicted with a notable stiffness and lack of three-dimensional depth, a common stylistic trait in early Italian religious painting. The extensive use of gold leaf for the background and details contributes to the painting's radiant quality, causing the vibrant hues to stand out prominently even after centuries.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni di Tano Fei was a Florentine painter documented as active between about 1384 and 1405.
![Saint Anthony Abbot [left panel], by Puccio di Simone](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/puccio-di-simone--saint-anthony-abbot-left-panel--b93626e2d00b6158-w320.webp)
![Madonna and Child Enthroned with Four Saints and Eighteen Angels [middle panel], by Puccio di Simone](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/puccio-di-simone--madonna-and-child-enthroned-with-four-saints-and-eighteen-an--24dd12ad513d60ea-w320.webp)
