Death of the Virgin

By Unknown Artist, mid-1500s
JPG • 3400 × 1155 PX • 1.4 MB
Curatorial Notes

This panel reveals a long history of changes. The initial work was painted on a single slab of wood, with strips left unpainted along the top and bottom. At an unknown time, the panel was probably cut down on the right and left sides, and the two blank strips at the top and bottom were filled in to enlarge the picture, most likely to fit its current, elaborately carved, 18th-century frame. Although these additions must have been initially more convincing, they were painted to match the yellowed and darkened original image, and thus no longer match the original paint. The flat and mismatched handling of the draperies in the lower portion also signal the intervention of a subsequent hand. The painting may have been part of an altarpiece as the predella, a long, horizontal painting along the base. The bottom of this panel exhibits signs of damage from fire and smoke, perhaps from the candles that could have been placed in front of it.

Artwork Identification

Title Death of the Virgin
Title (PT) Morte da Virgem
Title (ES) Muerte de la virgen
Artist Unknown Artist
Date mid-1500s
Work Type Painting

Location & Collection

License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
Ars Sancta