Painted for a chapel in Santa Trinita, Florence, Neri di Bicci conveys his own interpretation of the assumption of the virgin. He combines traditional ideas of the event with his own simplistic style to convey its relevance to the average person. Instead of focusing on one specific element of the death and assumption of Mary, Neri di Bicci uses elements from the entire story to portray an overall feeling of devotion for the Virgin Mary. His specific use of certain colours and symbols puts this work into a context where holy miracles and human emotion are all interconnected. .
This painting in its simplest form is one which is focused on a veiled woman in white being elevated towards the sky. Below the woman are twelve men, seven of which are looking up to her and the other five men have their glance directed downwards. Surrounding the woman on either side are a series of angels with their hand clasped and their heads bowed towards the woman. On the ground where the twelve men are located is a white rectangular box, which has a branch and flowers placed on top. Leaning against this box is a picture of a man being crucified and one person on either side of him looking up.
The figures in this painting and their place within it are easily explained with the addition of the title, The Assumption of the Virgin. The story of Mary's assumption has been depicted by artists such as El Greco, Titian, and Correggio to name a few, and each artist's interpretation is as different as their style. However, the basic story is that Mary the mother of Jesus prayed to God to deliver her from life on earth because she could no longer bear the death of her son. She was visited by an angel who gave her a palm branch and promised that within three days she would be reunited with Jesus. Mary requested that the palm branch be presented at her burial along with the twelve apostles. The Virgin's death and the assumption into heaven took three days; first her soul was taken and then her body was joined on the third day.
