Fra Angelico’s Coronation of the Virgin is a significant religious painting that depicts the crowning of the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven. This artwork was executed by the Italian painter Fra Angelico around 1432 and is presently exhibited at the Uffizi Gallery of Florence. Another similar piece was executed by him around 1434-35, now housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Both paintings show Christ adorning Virgin Mary’s regal crown with a gem.
The Uffizi painting was probably commissioned by a group of nuns for the church of Sant’Egidio, while The Louvre painting was commissioned by oblate nuns with an artistic style between Gothic and Renaissance. Historians believe that these two paintings were objects for private devotion because they were owned by religious institutions or individuals engaged in religious activities.
Fra Angelico was one of Renaissance’s geniuses whose impact on Western art remains till today. His representation of figures in celestial garments and bright colors conveys an aura of holiness to his work, making it highly reverential.