The Coronation of the Virgin
- Artist: Lorenzo Monaco
- Date: c. 1388-90
- Medium: tempera on panel, integral frame with gabled top
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is “The Coronation of the Virgin” by Lorenzo Monaco, a striking example of Florentine art from the late 14th century. The work dates to about 1388‑90 and is executed in tempera on panel, finished with an integral frame that has a gabled top—typical of altarpiece panels of the time. Lorenzo, who became known as “Monaco” after joining a monastic order, was Florence’s leading painter for many decades, and this piece reflects that stature.
The painting was designed for the very top of a large altarpiece that once hung in the Church of San Gaggio. The lofty placement explains why the Virgin is shown reaching heavenward, crowned by angels—a fitting vision for a position above the nave. In the background, marble tiles and a gold‑embroidered cloth drape behind the throne; those details would have been difficult to discern high in the church, but they underscore the opulent intent of the work. The altarpiece was meant to speak to God as much as to the congregation below, bridging the earthly and the divine in a single image.
See it in person
The Coronation of the Virgin hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
