• Author: Alessandro Allori
• Date: 1593
• Collection: PAINTING
• Technique: Oil on wood panel
• Dimensions: 422 x 292 cm (with frame)
• Inventory: Inv. 1890 n.3171

The painting illustrates the scene of the Coronation of the Virgin in the presence of God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Mary tenderly kisses the hand of the Son as he is about to crown her, surrounded by a host of angels showering petals.
The altarpiece comes from the high altar of the Florentine Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Florence, patronised by the Spanish Montalvo family. It was commissioned by Antonio Ramirez de Montalvo, first valet to Grand Duke Cosimo I, who assigned the task to Alessandro Allori in 1581.

However, the painter did not complete it until 1593, the date that appears next to his name on the surface of the vase brimming with flowers depicted in the lower part.
The host of angels that fills the composition is a clear tribute to the dedication of the church of origin. Allori displays great precision in rendering the different botanical qualities of each floral species, chosen according to precise symbolic meanings linked to the Virgin.