“Reliquary Tabernacle,” a tempera on panel painting created circa 1430 by Fra Angelico, epitomizes the Early Renaissance art movement and belongs to the genre of religious painting. The artwork is housed in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Fenway Court) in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
The artwork exquisitely depicts a scene brimming with spiritual solemnity and ethereal beauty. The upper portion illustrates the Assumption of the Madonna, surrounded by a celestial host of angels. The divine figure of the Madonna stands elevated, adorned in a luminous blue robe, her presence underscored by an aura of sanctity. The angels, rendered with delicate precision and clothed in richly patterned garments, gaze upon her with reverence, some playing musical instruments while others hold sacred symbols. The lower section portrays the Dormition of the Virgin, where apostles encircle her golden bier as Christ, holding her soul depicted as a small figure, stands central. The entire composition gracefully fuses intricate details and harmonious color palettes, embodying the serene devoutness characteristic of Fra Angelico’s work.
