Coronation of the Virgin 1360

Giovanni da Milano painted this small panel of the Coronation of the Virgin sometime in the mid-14th century. Its iconography represents the Virgin Mary being crowned as Queen of Heaven by Christ. Painted in Italy, a close look reveals much about the social and institutional context in which it was made. We see the Virgin Mary being crowned, an event not found in the Bible, yet popular in art of this period. The institutionalisation of the church during the 14th century gave rise to new doctrines and cults that celebrated the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven, and by depicting this event, Giovanni’s painting reinforced and legitimised the church’s teachings. We see the way the painting upholds social norms through hierarchical structures and symbolic codes, reflecting the conservative nature of religious institutions. Understanding the history of the church and consulting theological texts from the period, we can understand how art plays a critical role in communicating dominant ideologies.