Artwork
The Annunciation
The Annunciation is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Luca Giordano. It dates from 1672 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Annunciation, the biblical episode in which the Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will conceive and bear Jesus.
The painting depicts the Annunciation, the biblical episode in which the Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will conceive and bear Jesus. According to the catalogue record, the composition shows the angel Gabriel together with Mary, accompanied by a lily, the traditional floral attribute of the Virgin and a symbol of her purity. The work is classified as religious art, and its main subject is identified as the Annunciation itself.
Through these figures and the lily, the painting represents the moment of divine incarnation and Mary's acceptance of her role, core themes of Christian iconography rendered in oil on canvas.
Technique & Style
The Annunciation by Luca Giordano is executed in oil paint on canvas, a support consistent with the Neapolitan Baroque practice of the period. The painting's dimensions, approximately 236.5 by 169.9 centimeters, indicate a large-scale vertical format suited to an altarpiece or devotional commission. The work belongs to the religious genre and treats its subject with the dynamic, fluid handling characteristic of Giordano's mature style, in which rapid brushwork and luminous color are deployed to animate sacred narrative. The canvas is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The Annunciation is an oil painting on canvas executed by the Italian artist Luca Giordano in 1672. The work depicts the biblical scene of the Archangel Gabriel announcing to the Virgin Mary that she will conceive the Son of God, featuring iconographic elements such as a lily. Currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the painting measures approximately 236.5 by 169.9 centimeters.
The specific original commissioner and the detailed chain of ownership prior to its museum acquisition are not detailed in the available records.
Overview
This oil painting depicts the biblical scene of the Annunciation. It features a kneeling woman, traditionally identified as the Virgin Mary, receiving a message from a celestial messenger. The composition is balanced, with figures rendered in rich colors and soft illumination. The artwork captures a pivotal moment of divine communication, emphasizing both human reception and heavenly presence.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Luca Giordano was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Giordano was one of the most celebrated artists of the Neapolitan Baroque, whose vast output included altarpieces, mythological paintings and…
