Artwork
The Annunciation
The Annunciation is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Gabriel is identified by his traditional attributes of wings and a scepter, while Mary’s modest attire and down-turned gaze signal her humility and acceptance.
The work portrays the moment of the Annunciation, showing the archangel Gabriel announcing to the Virgin Mary that she will conceive the Messiah. In the composition the figures occupy a modest interior that resembles a bedroom, emphasizing domestic intimacy while reinforcing the divine intrusion into everyday space. Gabriel is identified by his traditional attributes of wings and a scepter, while Mary’s modest attire and down-turned gaze signal her humility and acceptance.
The scene functions iconographically as a visual sermon on obedience and the incarnation, embodying theological concepts of divine favor and the fulfillment of prophecy. The painting’s date of 1500 places it within the early sixteenth-century South German religious art tradition.
Technique & Style
The Annunciation is a painting dated to 1500, measuring approximately 16 × 10.5 centimeters, and is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Attributed to a South German (Bavarian) artist, it belongs to the religious genre and depicts the Annunciation scene with Gabriel and Mary inside a bedroom. The composition emphasizes the spatial relationship between the figures and the interior setting, exemplifying early 16th-century devotional stylistic conventions.
History & Provenance
The Annunciation is a religious painting dated to 1500, attributed to an anonymous South German artist, possibly from Bavaria. The work depicts the biblical scene of the Annunciation, featuring the figures of Gabriel and Mary within a bedroom setting, and measures approximately 16 cm in height by 10.5 cm in width. While the specific commissioning patron and the original location of creation are not detailed in the available records, the piece has a documented modern provenance linking it to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The provided records do not specify a particular inventory or accession number for the piece, nor any past or present exhibition history.
Overview
This painting depicts the biblical Annunciation, a pivotal moment when the Archangel Gabriel informs the Virgin Mary of her impending motherhood. Set within a confined, dimly lit interior, the artwork features two female figures engaged in a quiet exchange. One, likely Mary, is seated, while the other, representing the angel, stands before her, conveying significant news. The scene emphasizes an intimate and solemn atmosphere.
Artist & collection
