Coronation of the Virgin Mary (from the feretory)

The figure of the Virgin Mary is the most common representation in Christian art, appearing since the 3rd century. Initially Mary appeared in scenes related to Jesus, but after the Council of Ephesus in 431 there was an increase in her worship, thus more independent representations appeared. Over time, Marian cycles also began to appear in the form of scenes from Mary's life based on the gospels and apocrypha; including: Mary's birth, Mary's teaching, Mary's entry into the temple of Jerusalem, the nuptials, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Pietà, the Dormition, the Assumption, and the Coronation.

The crown has been an attribute of Mary, Queen of Heaven, since the very first depictions. The coronation scene, in which the Virgin Mary is crowned by Christ or the Holy Trinity (see E/5971/ML), has been in art since the 13th century. In the Middle Ages, it was considered the most important subject of Marian glorification depictions. Originally Mary thronged beside her son and humbly bowed her head towards him. Since the 14th century she kneels before Jesus. In this way her role as the advocate of humanity was emphasised. In later times she was depicted frontally on a throne made of clouds, between the Son of God on her right and God the Father on her left, who crown her together. Above the crown floated the dove of the Holy Spirit. From the late Middle Ages onwards, the depiction of Mary's crowning was sometimes combined with her assumption into heaven. In Baroque art the scene of the Assumption overshadowed the coronation scene and became the foreground representation. The paintings then depicted Mary ascending to heaven, with the Holy Trinity and angels holding the crown waiting for her in the heavenly sphere.

However, the theme of the crowning of the Virgin Mary had painterly enthusiasts. For example, the Spanish painter of Greek origin Dominikos Theotokopulos, known as El Greco, created four commissioned versions of the scene. It was also painted by non-professional painters, and their representations had an equally strong emotional and symbolic message, which can be judged, among other things, by the colour of the figures' robes, which indicated in turn: the red purple of Christ - martyrdom, the blue of Mary - eternity, the gold of God the Father - divinity.