The ''Death of the Virgin'' is a painting by the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
painter
Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna (, , ; September 13, 1506) was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son-in-law of Jacopo Bellini.
Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g. by lowering the horizon in orde ...
, dating to .
In this picture Mantegna depicts the last moment of the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
's life within a space defined by classical architecture, with a squared pavement which leads the observer's eyes towards the bed on which the Virgin lies. In the background is a lake scene which is a detailed reproduction of the bridge and the burgh of the
Castello di San Giorgio in
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...
. The work was originally part of the decoration of the castle's chapel, together with three panels now in the
Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums ...
in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
(''The Adoration of the Magi'', ''The Ascension'' and ''The Circumcision'', collectively known as the
Uffizi Triptych) and one now in the
Pinacoteca Nazionale,
Ferrara (''
Christ Bearing the Soul of the Virgin'').
The unfinished appearance of the pilasters in the upper part of the picture suggests that it was once larger than it appears today. The fragment showing Christ with the Virgin's soul, now in Ferrara, was most likely part of the original composition.
See also
*
''Death of the Virgin'' (Anonymous)
*
''Death of the Virgin'' (Caravaggio)
References
Page at artonline.it
External links
*
{{Andrea Mantegna
Death of the Virgin, The
Death of the Virgin, The
Paintings of the Museo del Prado by Italian artists
Mantegna
category:Gonzaga art collection
Ships in art
Bridges in art