The Coronation of the Virgin

Jesus crowns his mother Mary as God the Father gazes down from above and the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove. Playful cherubim in the wreath of cloud add to the jubilant mood. This theme represents the final episode in the life of Mary, when, according to the tradition of the Catholic Church, she was brought to heaven after death and crowned as Queen of Heaven. In order to set the scene for the celestial event, Giovanni Battista della Cerva creates an abstract space relying on colors associated with heaven (blue) and eternity (gold).