Artwork
The Annunciation to Zacharias; (verso) The Angel of the Annunciation
The Annunciation to Zacharias; (verso) The Angel of the Annunciation is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Giovanni di Paolo. It dates from 1457 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
An ornate interior of tall arches and gold floors frames a robed man and a woman in a long dress beside a small table. She holds an open book, her gold halo marking her as holy, while his beard and grave face suggest he is receiving important news. Two figures look on. Giovanni di Paolo painted it in 1457.
Subject & Meaning
The pairing reflects the religious function of the work, drawing a typological connection between the two angelic visitations central to the Gospel narrative.
The recto depicts the Annunciation to Zacharias, the biblical episode in which the angel Gabriel announces to the priest Zacharias that his barren wife Elizabeth will bear a son, later identified as John the Baptist. The verso shows the Angel of the Annunciation, presenting Gabriel in his role as messenger of the Incarnation. Together the two panels juxtapose the angel's two principal announcements in salvation history: the foretelling of Christ's forerunner and the Annunciation to the Virgin.
The recto scene includes the figures of the man (Zacharias), the angel, and John the Baptist as the child whose birth is prophesied, while the verso isolates the angelic figure associated with the Annunciation. The pairing reflects the religious function of the work, drawing a typological connection between the two angelic visitations central to the Gospel narrative.
History & Provenance
The double-sided panel was executed by Giovanni di Paolo in 1457, as indicated by the artist’s inscription on the recto. The work was later recorded in the collection of Robert Lehman before entering the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains housed. Its small scale and devotional format suggest it was commissioned for private use, likely intended for domestic contemplation rather than a public institution.
The diptych is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accessioned as The Robert Lehman Collection, 1975 (1975.1.107a, b). After its creation in 1457, the work entered the Robert Lehman collection and remained in private hands until it was bequeathed to the Museum in 1975.
Overview
Giovanni di Paolo's The Annunciation to Zacharias, created in 1457, is a religious painting that also features The Angel of the Annunciation on its reverse side. This panel, now housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrates a pivotal moment from biblical narrative. It reflects the artistic conventions and devotional focus prevalent in mid-15th century Italian painting, presenting a sacred event with detailed architectural and figural elements.
Technique & Style
Giovanni di Paolo's work exemplifies the Sienese school of painting, known for its decorative qualities and rich color palettes. The elaborate interior, with its soaring arches and reflective gold floor, creates a sense of sacred space and grandeur. The use of a gold halo for the angelic figure further emphasizes its divine nature, a common artistic convention of the era to distinguish holy personages and convey spiritual luminosity.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia was an Italian painter, working primarily in Siena, becoming a prolific painter and illustrator of manuscripts, including Dante's texts.
The Adoration of the Magi
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Madonna and Child with Two Angels and a Donor
Paradise
Saint Catherine of Siena Beseeching Christ to Resuscitate Her Mother
Saint Catherine of Siena Receiving the Stigmata
The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise
Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha, and Margaret
- Purification of the Virgin
The Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple
Coronation of the Virgin
The Coronation of the Virgin, and Saints
Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
The Annunciation and Expulsion from Paradise
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena
The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple
Saint Catherine Disputing and Two Donors
The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple
The Head of Saint John the Baptist Brought before Herod