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Death of the Virgin

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Death of the Virgin | 1936.496 
  
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Death of the Virgin, Master of Heiligenkreuz (possibly Bohemian) c. 1400
1936.496
Not on display

Christ's disciples surround the Virgin's deathbed. St. Peter, wearing the papal tiara, administers last rites, while an apostle puffs air into a censor and another adjusts his reading glasses. Above, and angelic orchestra punched into the gold ground, welcomes the Virgin's soul, depicted as a child in God's arms.



This painting was originally paired with a depiction of St. Clare (1194-1253), the companion of St. Francis of Assisi (now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington). The panels, which both depicts the deathbeds of women, may have been used for funeral ceremonies in a convent.

The identity of the Master of Heiligenkreuz is a mystery. His refined style with elegant gold punchwork patterns and figures with long fingers show the influence of the courts of Paris and Prague.
 
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