Artwork
The Annunciation
The Annunciation is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Aelbrecht Bouts. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Annunciation, a foundational episode from the Gospel of Luke in which the Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will conceive and bear the Son of God. According to the cataloguing data, the work portrays Mary, Gabriel, and the Annunciation itself within a building interior, a setting characteristic of Early Netherlandish depictions of the event, where the architectural space often symbolizes Mary's purity and the threshold between the divine and earthly realms. The Annunciation was one of the most frequently represented subjects in late medieval devotional art, embodying the moment of the Incarnation and serving as a focus for contemplation on the mystery of Christ's conception.
As the principal subject of Aelbrecht Bouts's panel, the scene conveys both theological doctrine and devotional intimacy through the encounter between messenger and recipient.
Technique & Style
The work is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, having previously been owned by Eugen Schweitzer.
Executed in 1480 by Aelbrecht Bouts, this Early Netherlandish work is an oil painting on a wooden panel. The composition depicts the Annunciation within a building interior, featuring the figures of Mary and Gabriel. Measuring 50.2 by 41.5 units, the piece utilizes oil paint as its primary medium to render the religious subject matter.
The application of oil on panel was characteristic of the movement and period, allowing for the detailed representation of the architectural setting and figures. The work is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, having previously been owned by Eugen Schweitzer. The specific handling of the medium reflects the technical standards of late fifteenth-century Netherlandish painting, focusing on the narrative interaction between the divine messenger and the Virgin.
History & Provenance
The Annunciation, painted by Aelbrecht Bouts circa 1480, is an oil‑on‑panel work measuring approximately 50.2 × 41.5 cm. Executed in the Early Netherlandish style, it portrays the Virgin Mary receiving the angel Gabriel’s message within an interior setting. The painting’s creation date is documented as 1480, and its material and dimensions are recorded in the catalog. Initially owned by collector Eugen Schweitzer, the work later entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on display.
No documentation of a specific commission survives, and the precise circumstances of its production are not detailed in the available records.
The Annunciation by Aelbrecht Bouts, painted in 1480, is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work was previously owned by Eugen Schweitzer before entering the museum's collection. Executed in oil on panel, the painting measures 50.2 cm in height by 41.5 cm in width. No specific accession number or detailed exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
This oil painting, titled The Annunciation, depicts a pivotal moment from Christian scripture. Within a domestic interior illuminated by tall windows, two female figures engage. One kneels in a blue robe, her hands joined in prayer or reception, while the other, clearly an angelic messenger, stands adorned with wings and holds a staff.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Aelbrecht Bouts (c.1452 - March 1549) was a Flemish painter of the Early Netherlandish era.
