PXL_20240329_221622552

The Coronation of the Virgin with Saints
1390s

Cenni di Francesco di Ser Cenni
Italian, active 1369/70-1415

Tempera and gold leaf on panel

Fourteenth-century altarpieces were often dismantled in later centuries, then cut into pieces and sold to collectors.
This nearly complete altarpiece is thus highly unusual. The lavish use of gold leaf and intricate punching and tooling (used to articulate haloes and background decorations) create a sumptuous effect; details such as the saints’ attributes and landscapes enhance the work’s visual interest.