Coronation of the Virgin 1435

Fra Angelico’s "Coronation of the Virgin" is a tempera on panel painting which is currently located at the Louvre in Paris. The composition is structured with a rigid symmetry. The vertical axis is dominated by the figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary who are framed by the golden, geometric architecture of the throne. The surrounding saints and angels are arranged in layered horizontal registers. The artist has paid careful attention to color and detail. There's a clear distinction between the earthly and divine realms. The Coronation scene is elevated, bathed in a soft light, and the divine figures are rendered in luminous blues and golds. Below, you may observe the earthly realm, depicted through the use of more grounded colors. This juxtaposition reinforces a semiotic system of signs, distinguishing between the sacred space above and the mortal world below. Look closely at the artist's use of symmetry and color, and you will see that Fra Angelico sought to convey a structured, hierarchical vision of the universe.