Assumption of the Virgin

Correggio painted the Assumption of the Virgin between 1526 and 1530 on the dome of Parma Cathedral. The massive fresco, roughly 11 by 12 meters, depicts the Virgin Mary rising through a swirling vortex of angels toward Christ. The Apostles stand on a faux cornice at the dome's base, looking up in wonder.

The illusionistic technique was radical for northern Italy. Correggio made the architectural dome seem to open onto the heavens, with figures appearing to protrude into the viewer's space. This dramatic foreshortening influenced Baroque ceiling painters for generations, including Lanfranco at Sant'Andrea della Valle in Rome.

One contemporary critic described the fresco as a "ragout of frogs' legs," unable to appreciate its innovation. Today the Parma Cathedral remains the only place to experience this work, painted in situ nearly 500 years ago.