Artwork
The Assumption of the Virgin with Saints Jerome and Francis
The Assumption of the Virgin with Saints Jerome and Francis is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Zanobi Strozzi. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1450 by Zanobi Strozzi, an Italian painter linked to the early Renaissance, this work portrays the Assumption of the Virgin accompanied by Saints Jerome and Francis. Executed on panel, it now belongs to the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is the Virgin Mary, shown ascending amid a luminous halo and clothed in a white drapery, her hands joined in prayer. Flanking her are the kneeling saints—Jerome on the left and Francis on the right—both rendered in brown habit and halo, embodying devotion and intercession.
Technique & Style
Strozzi employs a balanced composition that guides the eye upward toward the celestial scene, using a muted mountainous backdrop and a cloud‑filled sky to suggest depth. The delicate modeling of figures and subtle color transitions reflect the influence of his master, Fra Angelico, and the broader early Renaissance aesthetic.
History & Provenance
Although few of Strozzi’s panel paintings survive, this piece is among the attributed altarpieces that illustrate his career as a painter and manuscript illuminator in Florence and Fiesole. Its documented presence in the National Gallery of Ireland confirms its passage through European collections before reaching the museum.
Context
The Assumption was a popular devotional theme in 15th‑century Italy, often employed to emphasize the Virgin’s role as intercessor. Including Saints Jerome and Francis links the work to both scholarly and mendicant traditions, reflecting contemporary religious interests and patron preferences.
Artist & collection
Artist
Zanobi di Benedetto di Caroccio degli Strozzi (17 November 1412 – 6 December 1468) was an Italian Renaissance painter and manuscript illuminator active in Florence and nearby Fiesole.
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