PROVOST, Jan
(b. ca. 1465, Mons, d. 1529, Bruges)

The Coronation of the Virgin

1524
Oil on canvas transferred from wood, 203 x 151 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

The painting was executed for the St Donatius Church in Bruges. Originally it was attributed to Quentin Massys. On the left of the picture Emperor Augustus, on the right King David playing the harp can be seen. On both side of the Virgin angels playing musical instruments are depicted.

This altarpiece is filled with figures and objects that form a complex network of biblical allusions. The figures are conventional, but the landscape is painted in perspective. Depth is permitted only in the earthly part, while the heavens remain symbolically flat.