ArtvestigeArtvestige
PaintingsArtistsEras
Artvestige

Artvestige

The most comprehensive free reference for European painting. 40,000+ works across ten eras, every one with expert analysis.

Explore

PaintingsArtistsErasData Sources & CreditsContact

About

Artvestige is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any museum. All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

© 2026 Artvestige. All painting images are public domain / open access.

La Vierge en gloire au milieu des Apôtres by Master of the Small Passion

La Vierge en gloire au milieu des Apôtres

Master of the Small Passion·1470

Historical Context

The Virgin in Glory among the Apostles depicts the Pentecost or a related Marian subject in which Mary presides among Christ's disciples, a theme that underscores her role as Queen of Apostles in Catholic devotional theology. The Master of the Small Passion's panel belongs to the Marian program visible throughout the Darmstadt Altarpiece cycle, where Mary's prominence reflects the intensely Marian character of late medieval German piety. Marian confraternities, Marian altarpieces, and the theology of the Immaculate Conception were dominant concerns in the Upper Rhine region around 1400, shaping the iconographic choices of patrons and artists alike.

Technical Analysis

The hierarchical composition places Mary elevated at center, the apostles arranged around her in a format that echoes the Deësis — the intercession row of Byzantine tradition. The gold ground stabilizes the spatial arrangement, and the Master deploys color coding to differentiate the apostles' identities through their drapery.

See It In Person

Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille

Lille, France

Visit museum website →

Quick Facts

Medium
Oil on panel
Era
Early Renaissance
Style
Northern Renaissance
Genre
Religious
Location
Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, Lille
View on museum website →

More by Master of the Small Passion

Martyrdom of St Ursula before the City of Cologne by Master of the Small Passion

Martyrdom of St Ursula before the City of Cologne

Master of the Small Passion·1411

Two Holy Scenes: Legend of the Holy Hermit Anthony by Master of the Small Passion

Two Holy Scenes: Legend of the Holy Hermit Anthony

Master of the Small Passion·1410

Two Holy Scenes: Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand by Master of the Small Passion

Two Holy Scenes: Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand

Master of the Small Passion·1410

Engel der Verkündigung by Master of the Small Passion

Engel der Verkündigung

Master of the Small Passion·1417

More from the Early Renaissance Period

Pietà by Cosimo Tura

Pietà

Cosimo Tura·1475/1500

Virgin and Child by Giovanni Bellini

Virgin and Child

Giovanni Bellini·16th century or later

Christ Crowned with Thorns by Antonello da Messina (Antonello di Giovanni d'Antonio)

Christ Crowned with Thorns

Antonello da Messina (Antonello di Giovanni d'Antonio)·1450

Saint Peter Martyr Exorcizing a Woman Possessed by a Devil by Antonio Vivarini

Saint Peter Martyr Exorcizing a Woman Possessed by a Devil

Antonio Vivarini·c. 1450