The “Coronation of the Virgin” by Botticelli at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence

Botticelli (1445-1510) “Coronation of the Virgin”

Painting - Tempera on wood (378 x 258 cm) 1490

Coronation of the Virgin

Commissioned by the Confraternity of Goldsmiths of Florence

This altarpiece of the Coronation of the Virgin was commissioned from Botticelli by the Confraternity of Goldsmiths of Florence to decorate their chapel, dedicated to St Eligius, in the church of St Mark in Florence.

The Virgin is surrounded by angels and at her feet are Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome and Saint Eloi of Noyon, the patron saint of goldsmiths, who were part of the silk guild in Florence, the Arte della Seta.

The upper part of the altarpiece displays a wealth of tones in which blue, purple and gold are mixed in strong luminous contrasts.

God the Father wears a triple tiara and blesses the Virgin with his right hand, while he prepares to place the crown on her head with his left.

Coronation of the Virgin The Virgin sits before God in an attitude of modesty that demonstrates her faith, her hands crossed on her chest.

God and the Virgin are surrounded by a double crown of Seraphim in orange-vermilion and dark blue.

A circle of angels holding hands revolves around God and the Virgin, while two other angels throw roses.

The Four Saints of the Coronation of the Virgin Altarpiece

Four saints are depicted at the bottom of the painting, standing in front of a distant landscape.

Coronation of the Virgin On the left, Saint John the Evangelist is holding an open book with blank pages in his right hand, while his left hand is stretched towards the sky and he is seen listening to the divine word asking him to write a book.

Saint John the Evangelist is the patron saint of silk merchants, a guild to which goldsmiths belong. Standing next to him is St Augustine, who is seen writing.

Between St Augustine and St Eloi is a cardinal dressed in red.

This is St Jerome, who is holding a closed book in his left hand while his right hand is on his chest.

Coronation of the Virgin He is the only one of the four saints to admire the scene of the Coronation of the Virgin by God the Father, and Botticelli depicts him moved and absorbed in this heavenly vision.

Saint Eligius, the patron saint of goldsmiths, is depicted as a bishop on the right of the painting.

The four saints of the altarpiece

The predella of the altarpiece depicts the four saints from the painting.

From left to right, we see Saint John the Evangelist on the island of Patmos, writing the book of Revelation.

Coronation of the Virgin Saint John, who is concentrating on writing his book, is seated on a rock by the sea.

The second panel of the predella shows us Saint Augustine in his study, a book open in front of him, his right hand resting on his chest, as in Botticelli's painting in the church of Ognissanti in Florence.

Coronation of the Virgin In the centre of the predella is an Annunciation reminiscent of the one known as the Cestello. The Virgin's left hand is resting on the Holy Book while her right hand is on her chest.

The angel, who is holding a lily branch in his left hand, is pointing to the Virgin with his right.

A distant landscape is depicted between them.

The fourth panel of the predella shows Saint Jerome as a penitent in the desert with an open book at his side.

He holds a stone in his hand, the stone with which he beats his breast.

The fifth and final panel of the predella depicts the miracle of Saint Eligius.

We see the devil, disguised as a beautiful woman who brings a horse to be shoed, a horse possessed by the devil and impossible to control.

Saint Eligius solves the problem by cutting off the horse's leg.

We see the saint, in front of his forge, shoeing the hoof of one of the horse's legs, which is resting on his anvil.

Coronation of the Virgin