Who painted Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin?

Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin was painted by Peter Paul Rubens.

Where can I see Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin?

Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin?

Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin is associated with Flemish Baroque painting.

Can I buy a print of Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin?

Museum-quality prints of Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin

Peter Paul Rubens

Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Peter Paul Rubens. It is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Overview

Peter Paul Rubens created an oil sketch titled Coronation and Assumption of the Virgin between 1609 and 1611. Intended as a proposal for a side‑chapel in Antwerp Cathedral, the design was rejected in March 1611 and never executed as a full altarpiece. The sketch later served as a basis for a different composition, the Assumption of the Virgin, for the same chapel.

Subject & Meaning

The composition merges two Marian themes—the coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and her bodily assumption into the celestial realm. Central to the scene is a haloed Virgin in a white robe, being lifted by angels, while surrounding cherubs play music and bear banners, underscoring her heavenly elevation and divine honor.

Technique & Style

Rubens employed a vigorous, impasto application of oil, giving the drapery and wings a sculptural quality. The palette features soft pinks, blues, and golds against a darker sky, while chiaroscuro modeling creates depth and a sense of movement among the multitude of figures suspended in the heavens.

History & Provenance

After its rejection, the sketch was eventually acquired by the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, entering the collection in 1722 from the F.I. Dufferin collection. Originally painted on panel, it was transferred to canvas support in 1868. A second oil sketch on the same subject also resides in the Hermitage; a third, once held in Berlin’s Kaiser‑Friedrich‑Museum, was destroyed in 1945.

Context

Rubens drew compositional ideas from the Jesuit writer Ieronimo Nadal’s 1595 work Annotationes et Meditationes in Evangelia, particularly an engraving that influenced the upper arrangement of figures. The merging of coronation and assumption motifs reflects Counter‑Reformation devotional practices promoted by Jesuit patrons.