Artwork
Coronation of the Virgin
Coronation of the Virgin is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Fröndenberg Altarpiece. It dates from 1410 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a piece of religious art created by the Master of the Fröndenberg Altar, the painting visualizes this specific theological event.
The artwork depicts the religious subject of the Coronation of the Virgin, a central theme in Christian iconography where the Virgin Mary is crowned as Queen of Heaven. As a piece of religious art created by the Master of the Fröndenberg Altar, the painting visualizes this specific theological event. The work serves as a representation of Mary's exaltation within the divine hierarchy, consistent with its classification as a religious painting from early 15th-century Germany.
History & Provenance
The Coronation of the Virgin is attributed to the Master of the Fröndenberg Altar and dated to 1410, as indicated by the work’s inception date. Executed in Germany, the panel entered the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1929, where it bears the accession number 1929.920 and remains in the museum’s collection. While the painting’s original commission and any earlier owners are not documented in the available sources, its creation is situated within the early‑15th‑century German religious painting tradition associated with the Master’s workshop.
The painting Coronation of the Virgin, created by the Master of the Fröndenberg Altar around 1410, is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland. The work is cataloged under the accession number 1929.920. As a German religious painting from the early 15th century, it remains part of the museum's permanent holdings.
The provided sources do not list specific exhibition history or past display dates for this work, limiting the record to its current institutional location and inventory identification.
Context
The Coronation of the Virgin, painted circa 1410 by the Master of the Fröndenberg Altar, exemplifies early fifteenth‑century German devotional painting. Its iconography of the heavenly coronation reflects contemporary religious practice and has been examined by scholars as a key example of the period’s devotional art.
The work, housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art, measures 64.8 by 47.5 centimeters and was created in Germany, providing material evidence for the artist’s output within the broader corpus of devotional panels.
Overview
The Coronation of the Virgin, a religious panel painting from 1410, is attributed to the artist known as the Master of the Fröndenberg Altar. This work depicts a pivotal moment in Christian theology, rendered with the characteristic devotional intensity of early 15th-century Northern European art. It is currently housed in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Technique & Style
Created in the early 15th century, the painting exemplifies the stylistic conventions of Northern European art from this period. The use of vibrant colors, particularly in the drapery, and the meticulous rendering of details, such as the halos and the small objects held by the attendant figures, reflect a devotional aesthetic. The composition, with its clear hierarchy and symbolic elements, is characteristic of religious works designed to convey theological narratives to a contemporary audience.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Master of the Fröndenberg Altarpiece
Master of the Fröndenberg Altarpiece was a German artist.
