Coronation of the Virgin (polyptych)
Coronation of the Virgin — Paolo Veneziano, c.1358, Accademia Venice
Paolo Veneziano, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Paolo Veneziano was the founder of the Venetian school of painting — the first major painter working in Venice whose works survive in substantial number. His Coronation of the Virgin polyptychs and altarpieces represent the Venetian synthesis of Byzantine icon painting and Western Gothic narrative: the gold backgrounds, the hieratic formal postures of the figures, and the iconic quality of the faces are Byzantine; the narrative scenes in the predella and wings, the emotional quality of the gestures, and the quality of surface decoration (the patterned textiles, the architectural details) are Italian Gothic. The largest surviving Paolo Veneziano altarpiece is the Coronation of the Virgin in the Accademia, Venice (c.1358), which shows the Coronation surrounded by narrative scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin.
Paolo Veneziano (active c.1310-1362) established Venice as an independent artistic centre — before Paolo, Venetian painting was essentially a provincial Byzantine school. Paolo's integration of Byzantine and Western elements created a distinctly Venetian style that would persist through the 14th century and influence the later development of the school.
His son Giovanni Veneziano continued the workshop after his death. The Accademia altarpiece is a major document of mid-14th century Venetian art.
The Coronation of the Virgin is a subject that combined theological (the glorification of the Virgin as Queen of Heaven) and civic (Venice was under the special protection of the Virgin) significance. Paolo's treatments show the Virgin kneeling before Christ, who places the crown on her head, surrounded by the heavenly court — a formal, hieratic composition in which the Byzantine gold and the Italian Gothic narrative quality are in productive tension.
When standing before this work, look carefully: Coronation of the Virgin — Paolo Veneziano, c.1358, Accademia Venice. Give it time — what seems decorative often carries the central meaning.
When standing before this work, look carefully: Central panel — Christ crowning the Virgin. Give it time — what seems decorative often carries the central meaning.
When standing before this work, look carefully: Byzantine gold background — Venetian-Byzantine synthesis. Give it time — what seems decorative often carries the central meaning.
When standing before this work, look carefully: Predella narrative scenes — Gothic narrative quality. Give it time — what seems decorative often carries the central meaning.
Gallerie dell'Accademia, Campo della Carità 1050, Venice. Open Monday 8:15-14:00, Tuesday-Sunday 8:15-19:15. Admission fee applies.