The Assumption of the Virgin 1334 - 1342

Editor: Here we have Bernardo Daddi's "The Assumption of the Virgin," made with tempera around 1334 to 1342. It feels so heavenly and serene, but the faces are rather serious! What stands out to you as you view this artwork? Curator: Serious is a good word! It's the gravity of the event, no? Imagine the weight of rising to meet the divine! For me, it's the gold – shimmering, otherworldly. It doesn't feel decorative to me; it's actually space, it represents everything *other*. It makes you wonder what it was like back then, being surrounded by this opulence in churches. Does the triangle shape affect how you see it? Editor: I see what you mean, there is something precious and eternal here, that the shape definitely highlights! Now that you point out the triangle shape, yes, maybe that gives a feeling of the divine? Does this influence what he depicts? Curator: I suspect the shape *always* influences things; everything supports everything. It’s not just about containing the story, is it? Daddi lived in Florence during the rise of humanism. Do you see any echoes of that here, despite the overtly religious theme? Or maybe, *because* of it? Editor: It feels less about individual people and more about the idea of holiness itself. Maybe the solid figures, solid colours, the solemn angels also evoke the feeling of ascension? Thanks so much for your reading. Curator: Thanks to you! It’s those juxtapositions – solemnity and splendor – that really stay with me, every single time.