Maria Wird Von Engeln Gekrönt 1502

"Maria Wird Von Engeln Gekrönt" was painted by Hans Holbein the Elder, around 1500, with oil on wood. The artwork centres on the Virgin Mary and infant Christ, flanked by angels, all framed by an elaborate architectural backdrop. The composition is symmetrical, lending the scene a sense of balance and divine order. Mary's robes are rendered in rich, flowing lines which contrast with the sharp angles of the Gothic-inspired throne. Holbein's treatment of space is intriguing: the figures seem to exist in a shallow, compressed plane, characteristic of Northern Renaissance painting. This flattening focuses our attention on the symbolic elements, such as the orb held by one angel which represents earthly power, and the crown of stars above Mary's head, a symbol of her celestial role. The gold background adds to this iconic, timeless quality, reducing depth and drawing the eye to the surface's intricate details. This blend of realism and symbolic abstraction invites us to consider the interplay between the material and the spiritual.