Triptych: The Death of the Virgin with The Assumption and The Coronation

Nardon Pénicaud (act. 1493–1539) was the patriarch of one of the most prominent families of enamel­ers in Limoges. Inspired by late Gothic and early Renaissance styles, his work is characterized by monumental figures set in somber compositions. While the composition of the central panel, depict­ing the death of the Virgin, had already appeared in an enamel made in the workshop of the Master of the Orléans Triptych, the scene at the left appears to be unique. Arriving too late to witness the Assumption of the Virgin, St. Thomas doubted her ascent until he received her sash from an angel. The Coronation, at right, derives from contemporary printed books of hours.

Source: Vignon, Charlotte. The Frick Collection Decorative Arts Handbook. New York: The Frick Collection/Scala, 2015.