Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum), Budapest
Location History:
1940: The painting was donated by Lord Rothermere to the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, where it remains today.
Maso di Banco, a prominent Italian painter during the early 14th century in Florence, was recognised as one of the most accomplished followers of Giotto and was likely trained in his workshop. Although his life is mostly unknown due to scarce records his limited career period, his artistic reputation was still respected. Renaissance writers such as Lorenzo Ghiberti lauded his skills, and was characterised as the most refined pupil of Giotto by Filippo Villani. A document dated from 1392 also referred to him as a "grande maestro" i.e. a great master painter.
His renowned works that are still standing are namely the Bardi di Vernio (St. Sylvester) Chapel frescoes in Santa Croce, Florence. They elucidated his refined style from the Proto-Renaissance era. Maso took what Giotto had started and made figures that felt monumental and sculptural, placed within a consolidated, illusionistic settings. The gestures stand out but stay controlled and the way everything is arranged feels balanced without pushing too hard on emotion. Maso kept the drama from being overpowering while still making the depth convincing, and mindfully fitting the architecture right into the story without any breaks.
In the painting Coronation of the Virgin (1335 – 1340) by Maso di Banco, the viewers can see the moment when the Virgin Mary was crowned by Christ as the Queen of Heaven. This work is depiction of the changes brought about by the revolution in art by Giotto and taken forward by his talented disciple, Maso. Contradictory to Byzantine religious paintings which lacked harmony and had a dramatic composition, this picture is created with the help of a calm and harmonious composition with proper usage of space.
The painting depicts Mary and Christ sitting on the throne with angels surrounding them, thus creating harmony and peace rather than drama. The angels playing musical instruments were a common attribute in paintings of Coronation of the Virgin done by the artists of the Trecento period. It portrayed the celebration of Heaven with the blessed and angelic choirs worshipping Mary as the sovereign Queen of Heaven.
