The Coronation of the Virgin, with God the Father Above, Saint Jerome Lower Right, and Saint John the Baptist Lower Left
Original title: The coronation of the Virgin, God the Father above, St Jerome lower right and St John the Baptist lower left
kurzbeschreibung
Mary is crowned by God the Father, with angels surrounding the scene and Saints Jerome and John the Baptist appearing below. The Master of the Die captured this motif in an engraving between 1530 and 1560.
Description
God the Father hovers in the upper center, wrapped in clouds and rays, placing the crown on Mary. She is enthroned beneath him, flanked by two angels. In the lower section, Jerome sits on the right and John the Baptist on the left, both on thrones; a figure with a staff stands on the left, and a lion is visible on the right. The layout appears mirror-like.
Context
The artist, a Renaissance engraver active in Rome, bears a name derived from the Italian word for dice. The print dates from the mid-16th century, when religious printmaking spread widely in Italy. The sheet follows the traditional iconography of the Coronation of the Virgin, common in Catholic art.
Impact
The mirrored arrangement and clear contours create a solemn, orderly atmosphere. Rays of light and clouds lend the scene a otherworldly quality, while the firm structure of the figures recalls architectural articulation.
Technique
The engraving was made using the copperplate technique: a burin cut the lines into the metal plate. The monochrome printing method allows precise reproduction of details, seen in fine hatching and sharp contours. The sheet measures 34.6 x 25.2 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)