Death and the Coronation of the Virgin
Diptych
ca. 1360-1370 (made)
ca. 1360-1370 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is an ivory diptych made in Venice, in about 1360-1370 and depicts the Dormition of the Virgin on the left and the Coronation on the right leaf.
Ivory was used all over Europe for religious works of art. It was often combined with precious metals and usually took the form of relief panels, for book covers, portable altars and caskets. An almost unbroken tradition of ivory carving extends from the Roman and Byzantine empires until the end of the 14th century. From about 1250, Paris became the centre of production for figures and reliefs intended for private devotion. Other workshops emerged in Italy and Germany. Venice was one of the centres of ivory carving in Italy. Much of the work was based on French models. Some of the craftsmen may have been trained in Paris as their work often combines French and local styles.
The devotional diptych is in many ways the object type most associated with the notion of Gothic ivory carving. The earliest examples probably date to the 1240s; these are complex, large and ambitious works that emerged, somewhat surprisingly, with no obvious precursors. The owners of ivory diptychs sometimes appear within their images. Such portraits indicate that they were special requests on the part of their commissioners, and they parallel the similar figures that appear in manuscripts and panel paintings of the period. The iconography of Gothic diptychs oscillated between two poles. The first of which is the desire to present narratives (Life of Christ and Virgin Mary) for envisaging. The second was the use of non-narrative images to form the focus of devotion.
Ivory was used all over Europe for religious works of art. It was often combined with precious metals and usually took the form of relief panels, for book covers, portable altars and caskets. An almost unbroken tradition of ivory carving extends from the Roman and Byzantine empires until the end of the 14th century. From about 1250, Paris became the centre of production for figures and reliefs intended for private devotion. Other workshops emerged in Italy and Germany. Venice was one of the centres of ivory carving in Italy. Much of the work was based on French models. Some of the craftsmen may have been trained in Paris as their work often combines French and local styles.
The devotional diptych is in many ways the object type most associated with the notion of Gothic ivory carving. The earliest examples probably date to the 1240s; these are complex, large and ambitious works that emerged, somewhat surprisingly, with no obvious precursors. The owners of ivory diptychs sometimes appear within their images. Such portraits indicate that they were special requests on the part of their commissioners, and they parallel the similar figures that appear in manuscripts and panel paintings of the period. The iconography of Gothic diptychs oscillated between two poles. The first of which is the desire to present narratives (Life of Christ and Virgin Mary) for envisaging. The second was the use of non-narrative images to form the focus of devotion.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Death and the Coronation of the Virgin (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Elephant ivory |
Brief description | Diptych, ivory, the Death and Coronation of the Virgin, North Italy (Venice), ca. 1360-1370 |
Physical description | In the left wing the Virgin lies on a couch surrounded by the apostles. Behind Christ, between Saints. In the right wing Christ and Virgin seated on a throne. Behind angels playing musical instruments. Both leaves are topped with an arcade of four hemispherical arches with scalloped decoration; each arch is crowned with a gable, from which emerge characteristically 'comma-shaped' crockets. The space between each gable is on the left leaf ornamented with quatrefoil and cinquefoil decorations, while the right leaf has quatrefoils beneath a further layer of arches. Both leaves are bordered by a recessed frame. The left leaf depicts the Dormition of the Virgin, with Christ holding the personification of the Virgin's soul, and with the apostles ranged around the bed. To the left stands a tonsured figure blowing on the coals of a censer, with a bishop reading from a book behind him, and to the right two crowned female figures. The figure on the right holds a small cross in her left hand. The right leaf shows the Coronation of the Virgin, accompanied by a music-making angelic choir, who play a variety of instruments including the portable organ, the viol, the pipe and the psaltery. |
Dimensions |
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Object history | In the collection of George Salting, London, by 1909. From the Salting bequest to the Museumin 1910. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This is an ivory diptych made in Venice, in about 1360-1370 and depicts the Dormition of the Virgin on the left and the Coronation on the right leaf. Ivory was used all over Europe for religious works of art. It was often combined with precious metals and usually took the form of relief panels, for book covers, portable altars and caskets. An almost unbroken tradition of ivory carving extends from the Roman and Byzantine empires until the end of the 14th century. From about 1250, Paris became the centre of production for figures and reliefs intended for private devotion. Other workshops emerged in Italy and Germany. Venice was one of the centres of ivory carving in Italy. Much of the work was based on French models. Some of the craftsmen may have been trained in Paris as their work often combines French and local styles. The devotional diptych is in many ways the object type most associated with the notion of Gothic ivory carving. The earliest examples probably date to the 1240s; these are complex, large and ambitious works that emerged, somewhat surprisingly, with no obvious precursors. The owners of ivory diptychs sometimes appear within their images. Such portraits indicate that they were special requests on the part of their commissioners, and they parallel the similar figures that appear in manuscripts and panel paintings of the period. The iconography of Gothic diptychs oscillated between two poles. The first of which is the desire to present narratives (Life of Christ and Virgin Mary) for envisaging. The second was the use of non-narrative images to form the focus of devotion. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | A.566-1910 |
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Record created | April 26, 2005 |
Record URL |
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