Title
Mary, Queen of Heaven
Master of the Legend of Saint Lucy (?, ca. 1430 - ?, ca. 1507)
Generic classification
PaintingObject
PaintingDate
1485-1500Cultural context / style
Flemish PaintingMaterial
PanelTechnique
Oil PaintingIconography / Theme
Asunción de la VirgenProvenance
Santa Clara Convent, Medina de Pomar (Medina de Pomar, Burgos, Spain)Current location
The National Gallery of Art, Washington (Washington, United States)Inventory Number in Current Collection
1952.2.13Inscriptions / Marks
On either side of the Virgin's head, two angels sing in Gregorian notation. The one on the left: "A/ve regina celorum mr regis", the other on the right: "A/Tenor ve/regina"
Object history
In 2005, Pereda linked the commission of this work to the 1st Countess of Haro, Beatriz Manrique de Lara (1405-1471), shortly before her death. Previously, the 7th Constable of Castile, Pedro Fernández de Velasco, was thought to be the promoter of the work (Robers, 1982). However, it was the countess, Beatriz Manrique, who commissioned it in Bruges to be placed in one of the altars at the chancel of the convent church of Santa Clara de Medina de Pomar, where her burial place was. The work remained in Medina de Pomar until 1934, when the Madrid antique dealer, Raimundo Ruiz y Ruiz, acquired it. It left Spain and appeared on the New York market in 1947 (French & Company). It was there that it was bought by the Samuel Kress Foundation, and in 1952 it was given to the National Gallery of Washington (inv. no. 1952.2.13).
Description
This is one of the most finished and outstanding paintings of the work of the Master of the legend of Santa Lucia. Made on panel, its large size (201.5 x 163.8 cm.) and the iconography chosen, are indicative of a very specific commission. At a time when the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was being very controversial, the codification of its iconography fluctuated between the Assumption of the Virgin and her Coronation as Queen of Heaven. A combination of these proposals is what the Master of the Santa Lucia legend proposes here. On a quarter moon, the Virgin in prayer is led to heaven by angels who with music and song praise all her virtues. Above, in a Gloria break, with angels playing other instruments, the Trinity awaits Mary to crown her as queen of heaven and earth. This panel probably had another one that covered it in the form of a diptych. In this sense, we should think of the serge with the Annunciation and the Visitation in the Museo del Prado (inv. no. P007023) by the same master, bearing the arms of the Manrique de Lara and Fernández de Velasco families and whose measurements fit the size of the Washington panel (Diéguez 2025).
Locations
Unknown date
Unknown date
dealer/antiquarian
Raimundo Ruiz, Madrid (Spain) *
Unknown date
dealer/antiquarian
French & Company, New York (United States) *
Unknown date
private collection
Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York (United States) *
present
Bibliography
- Diéguez Rodríguez, Ana (2023): La pintura flamenca del siglo XVI en Osuna (Sevilla). Arte, devoción y significado para los condes de Ureña, Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, p. 29, il. 6.
- EISLER, Colin (1965): "The Sittow Assumption", nº 64, en Art News, Art News, pp. 35-37.
- FISCHER, Pieter (1975): Music in Paintings of the Low Countries in the 16th and 17th Centuries, Swets & Zeitlinger, Ámsterdam, p. 8, il. 8, 10.
- FRANSEN, Bart y LONGNEAUX, Louise (2021): "Hans Memling's Altarpiece for the Benedictine Abbey Church of Nájera", en Harmony in Bright Colors: Memling's God the Father with Singing and Music-Making Angels Restored, Brepols, Turnhout, pp. 41,45.
- FRIEDLÄNDER, Max J. (1903): "Die Brügger Leihausstellung von 1902", nº 26, Repertorium für Kunstwissenschaft, pp. 84-85.
- FRIEDLÄNDER, Max J. (1971): Early Netherlandish Painting, vol. 6, Brusels-Leiden, pp. 123-124.
- GARCÍA SAINZ DE BARANDA, JULIÁN (1966): Medina de Pomar como lugar arqueológico y centro de turismo de las Merindades de Castilla-Vieja, Burgos, p. 86.
- GAYA NUÑO, Juan Antonio (1964): Pintura europea perdida por España: de Van Eyck a Tiépolo, Espasa-Calpe, Madrid, p. 27.
- HAND, John Oliver (2004): National Gallery of Art: Master Paintings from the Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington and New York, pp. 52-53.
- Hand, John Oliver y Wolff, Martha (1986): Early Netherlandish Painting. The Colletions of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue, Washington, pp. 177-183.
- MIRIMONDE, Albert P. de (1976): "La musique chez les peintres de la fin de l'ancienne école de Bruges", en Jaarboek van het Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, pp. 42-51, il. 17, 23.
- MIRIMONDE, Albert P. de (1976): "Le sablier, la musique et la danse dans les `Noces de Cana' de Paul Véronèse", nº 88, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, p. 134.
- ROBERTS, Ann (1982): The Master of the Legend of Saint Lucy: A Cataloque and Critical Essay, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, pp. 92-95, 154-159, 185.
- VERHAEGEN, Nicole (1959): "Le Maître de la légende de Sainte Lucie. Précisions sur son oevure", nº 2, Bulletin de l'Institut royal du Patrimoine artistique, pp. 81-82.
- VERHAEGEN, Nicole (1961): "Un important retable du Maître de la Légende de sainte Lucie conservé à Tallinn", nº 4, Bulletin de l´Institut royal du Patrimoine artistique, p. 143.
- VOS, Dirk de (1976): "Nieuwe toeschrijvingen aan de Meester van de Lucialegende alias de Meester van de Rotterdamse Johannes op Patmos", nº 90, Oud Holland, p. 157.
Record manager
Ana Diéguez RodríguezCitation:
Ana Diéguez Rodríguez, "Mary, Queen of Heaven" in Nostra et Mundi. Cultural Heritage from Castile and Leon around the world, Fundación Castilla y León, 2025. https://inventario.nostraetmundi.com/en/work/213
Mary Queen of Heaven
The National Gallery of Washington. Dominio Público
The National Gallery of Washington. Dominio Público
