Feast of the Assumption, or the Dormition of Mary?

 

From Hilary White at The Sacred Images Project:

Throughout the middle ages, the Assumption and coronation of the Virgin was one of the most popular subjects for sacred art. There are really a never-ending parade of depictions, in every style you can name, from the earliest possible Christian times. So, rather than just randomly choose a few from the heap, I thought I’d highlight one I’m personally rather fond of.

The great Narnian Ghirlandaio is a painting very difficult to photograph, in its dark room. They keep you some feet away from it with a platform built to resemble an altar, to give an idea what it might have looked like in place.

But other works are much easier to get up close to. I love this little panel of the Dormition and Coronation by a painter of the 14th century known to us only as “The Master of Narni”. It has such delicate charm and simplicity that I thought I’d love to do a set of miniature icons based on it, so I took a lot of close up photos of it one day. (Read more.)