Artwork
The Assumption of the Virgin
The Assumption of the Virgin is a print by the Renaissance artist Francesco Rosselli. It dates from 1495 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Francesco Rosselli’s print titled *The Assumption of the Virgin*, executed around 1495, is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work depicts the biblical moment when Mary is taken up into heaven, surrounded by a host of angels and observed by a gathering of earthly figures beneath a cityscape.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is the Virgin Mary, shown ascending amid a swirl of winged angels who direct their gestures toward her, suggesting a divine escort. Below, kneeling and standing onlookers watch the event, emphasizing the contrast between the celestial realm and the human world, a common visual theme in late‑15th‑century devotional art.
Technique & Style
Rosselli employs fine linear drawing to delineate the folds of clothing, the movement of clouds, and the intricate architecture of the distant city. The composition relies on clear contours and rhythmic lines to convey both the physical ascent of the Virgin and the ethereal presence of the angels, reflecting the printmaking conventions of the early Renaissance.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1495, the print has remained in the public domain for over five centuries before entering the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings. Its attribution to Rosselli, a noted Florentine draftsman and printer, situates the piece within the broader output of Italian Renaissance print culture, where narrative religious subjects were widely disseminated.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Rosselli was an Italian miniature painter, and engraver of maps and old master prints.
