Artwork
Dormition of the Virgin Relief
Dormition of the Virgin Relief is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The relief depicts the Virgin Mary in the moment of her Dormition, surrounded by the Apostles, embodying the traditional iconography of the Assumption of the Virgin within Byzantine and early Renaissance devotional art. The composition emphasizes the spiritual transition of Mary, reflecting theological themes of celestial ascent and communal mourning, which held significance within the religious context of 15th-century Italy.
History & Provenance
The relief is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is listed under the accession number 2020.1450. It has been included in exhibitions at the museum, most recently in the "Medieval Art of the West" presentation in 2022.
Context
The work's stylistic elements align with contemporary devotional objects, illustrating the integration of painting and sculptural relief in devotional contexts.
The relief was created in 1450 and is classified as a painting, reflecting the artistic conventions of its period. It is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is described as an anonymous work depicting a man, providing context within the broader corpus of late medieval religious art. Scholarship situates the piece within the anonymous tradition of devotional sculptures that circulated in early Renaissance workshops, emphasizing its role in understanding devotional practices of the era.
The work's stylistic elements align with contemporary devotional objects, illustrating the integration of painting and sculptural relief in devotional contexts. Its presence in a major museum collection underscores its significance in the study of medieval artistic production and the transmission of religious imagery.
Overview
The work is a carved stone relief depicting a gathering of figures around a reclining central figure, interpreted as the Virgin Mary in the Dormition. The composition is framed by pointed arches and includes ancillary figures in the corners, while angels hover above a tree bearing unusual fruit.
Technique & Style
Executed in low relief, the carving presents a flattened, linear quality with minimal modeling. Figures are rendered with stiff poses and limited depth, characteristic of a stylized medieval aesthetic. Architectural framing with pointed arches and detailed marginal figures adds structural emphasis.
Artist & collection
Virgin and Child, the Coronation of the Virgin and scenes from the Nativity
The Entombment
Untitled
Adoration of the Magi
Central Panel of a Triptych
Diptych
Shrine of Saint Anne and the Holy Kinship
Death and the Coronation of the Virgin
The Crucifixion, the Virgin and Child and Scenes from the Life of Christ
Detail of the carving of the tympanum, León Cathedral
Fifth Series- The Death of the Virgin (The Dormition)
