Coronation of the Virgin, 19th-century copy after Fra Angelico’ frescoes in San Marco Monastery. Florence

Coronation of the Virgin, 19th-century copy after Fra Angelico

Oil on canvas, 43 × 60 cm

19th-century copy inspired by the fresco painted by Fra Angelico around 1440 for the Dominican convent of San Marco in Florence, in a cell intended for the private meditation of the friars.

The scene depicts Christ crowning the Virgin Mary, both figures immersed in an immaterial, luminous space. This is not natural light, but rather a divine emanation, in line with the Dominican theology of Thomas Aquinas, who considered light a manifestation of grace. The original work is a true symphony of whites, where stripped-down forms and silence serve the purpose of spiritual contemplation.

This 19th-century copy conveys the same atmosphere of serenity and formal purity found in Fra Angelico’s vision.

Beautiful patina consistent with the period, almost no overpainting, delicate craquelure appropriate for the age of the work.

Excellent overall condition.