1. 16 May


    The Annunciation (1785). Francisco Goya (Spanish, Romanticism, 1746-1828). Oil on canvas. Luke 1:34-38: “How can this happen?” Mary asked the angel. “I am a virgin.” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God…” Mary answered, “I serve the Lord. May it happen to me just as you said it would.”

    The Annunciation (1785). Francisco Goya (Spanish, Romanticism, 1746-1828). Oil on canvas.

    Luke 1:34-38: “How can this happen?” Mary asked the angel. “I am a virgin.” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God…” Mary answered, “I serve the Lord. May it happen to me just as you said it would.”

     

  2. 13 May


    The Angel of Annunciation (1653-55). Carlo Dolci (Italian, 1616-1687). Oil on canvas. Musée du Louvre, Paris. Dolci captured detail in lavish textiles, jewelry, and the face and hands. His evangelist portraits display his typical polished surface finish, which was probably influenced by Agnolo Bronzino, as well as a Caravaggesque chiaroscuro and Correggio’s softness.

    The Angel of Annunciation (1653-55). Carlo Dolci (Italian, 1616-1687). Oil on canvas. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

    Dolci captured detail in lavish textiles, jewelry, and the face and hands. His evangelist portraits display his typical polished surface finish, which was probably influenced by Agnolo Bronzino, as well as a Caravaggesque chiaroscuro and Correggio’s softness.

     

  3. 6 Apr


    La Vierge de l’Annonciation (1741-1742). Pompeo Batoni (Italian Rococo Era, 1708-1787). Musée du Louvre. An image of devotion. Represented bust, the head of the Virgin is partly covered with a thin veil and turned almost in profile to the right. The softness of the light evokes the religious works of Guido Reni (1575-1642). Batoni works were sometimes attributed to Carlo Maratta (1625-1713), whose devotional images are a likely source of inspiration.

    La Vierge de l’Annonciation (1741-1742). Pompeo Batoni (Italian Rococo Era, 1708-1787). Musée du Louvre.

    An image of devotion. Represented bust, the head of the Virgin is partly covered with a thin veil and turned almost in profile to the right. The softness of the light evokes the religious works of Guido Reni (1575-1642). Batoni works were sometimes attributed to Carlo Maratta (1625-1713), whose devotional images are a likely source of inspiration.

     

  4. 14 Jan


    Annunciation, Angelic Concert (detail), c. 1515. Matthias Grünewald (German, 1470/80-1528). Renaissance (Northern). Oil on wood. Musée d’Unterlinden. Colmar, France. Only religious works are included in his small surviving corpus, the most famous being the Isenheim Altarpiece. Its nine images on twelve panels are arranged on double wings to present three views. The first view with the outer wings closed shows a Crucifixion flanked by Saint Sebastien and Saint Anthony. When the first set of wings is opened, the Annunciation, Angelic Concert (sometimes interpreted as the Birth of Ecclesia), Mary Bathing Christ, and Resurrection are displayed.

    Annunciation, Angelic Concert (detail), c. 1515. Matthias Grünewald (German, 1470/80-1528). Renaissance (Northern). Oil on wood. Musée d’Unterlinden. Colmar, France.

    Only religious works are included in his small surviving corpus, the most famous being the Isenheim Altarpiece. Its nine images on twelve panels are arranged on double wings to present three views. The first view with the outer wings closed shows a Crucifixion flanked by Saint Sebastien and Saint Anthony. When the first set of wings is opened, the Annunciation, Angelic Concert (sometimes interpreted as the Birth of Ecclesia), Mary Bathing Christ, and Resurrection are displayed.

     

  5. 8 Jan


    Ecce Ancilla Domini! (The Annunciation), 1849-50. Dante Gabriel Rossetti (English, Pre-Raphaelite, 1828‑1882). Oil on canvas. Tate. Traditionally the Virgin was depicted in studious contemplation, reading a missal at a prie-dieu; but here Rossetti shows her rising awkwardly from a low bed, as if disturbed from sleep, while the Angel Gabriel presents her with a white lily. Both figures are dressed in white, a symbol of the virgin’s purity, and the angel’s role as the messenger of God is emphasised by the small white dove hovering beside him, signifying the presence of the Holy Spirit.

    Ecce Ancilla Domini! (The Annunciation), 1849-50. Dante Gabriel Rossetti (English, Pre-Raphaelite, 1828‑1882). Oil on canvas. Tate.

    Traditionally the Virgin was depicted in studious contemplation, reading a missal at a prie-dieu; but here Rossetti shows her rising awkwardly from a low bed, as if disturbed from sleep, while the Angel Gabriel presents her with a white lily. Both figures are dressed in white, a symbol of the virgin’s purity, and the angel’s role as the messenger of God is emphasised by the small white dove hovering beside him, signifying the presence of the Holy Spirit.

     

  6. 20 Dec


    The Annunciation (1465-75). Hans Memling (Netherlandish, active by 1465–died 1494). Oil on wood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. May have been the left wing of a triptych commissioned by the Clugny family, whose coat of arms decorates the carpet and window. The composition is based on a design by Rogier van der Weyden, painted by Memling who, technical evidence suggests, was a journeyman in Rogier’s workshop before establishing himself in Bruges in 1465.

    The Annunciation (1465-75). Hans Memling (Netherlandish, active by 1465–died 1494). Oil on wood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

    May have been the left wing of a triptych commissioned by the Clugny family, whose coat of arms decorates the carpet and window.

    The composition is based on a design by Rogier van der Weyden, painted by Memling who, technical evidence suggests, was a journeyman in Rogier’s workshop before establishing himself in Bruges in 1465.

     

  7. 29 Oct


    The Annunciation (c. 1495). Rueland Frueauf the Elder (Austrian, 1440/45-1507). Tempera on pine panel. Szépmûvészeti Múzeum, Budapest. The golden period of Salzburg painting in the last years of the 15th C. was dominated by the Elder and the Younger Rueland Frueauf. The focus is on the figures, the angel floating above in the image field, and the Virgin, listening humbly to the tidings of the divine messenger, her face lit up by a glad smile, bending gently towards her visitor. The two figures fill almost the whole space with hardly any help coming from the decorative elements, the background, and the praying-desk.

    The Annunciation (c. 1495). Rueland Frueauf the Elder (Austrian, 1440/45-1507). Tempera on pine panel. Szépmûvészeti Múzeum, Budapest.

    The golden period of Salzburg painting in the last years of the 15th C. was dominated by the Elder and the Younger Rueland Frueauf.

    The focus is on the figures, the angel floating above in the image field, and the Virgin, listening humbly to the tidings of the divine messenger, her face lit up by a glad smile, bending gently towards her visitor. The two figures fill almost the whole space with hardly any help coming from the decorative elements, the background, and the praying-desk.

     

  8. 15 Oct


    The Annunciation (ca, 1644). Philippe de Champaigne  (French, 1602–1674). Oil on wood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This picture was painted in for the private oratory of Anne of Austria, the widowed wife of Louis XIII. The oratory, a small oval room in the Palais Royal, Paris, was decorated by the most prominent French painters of the day. Its altarpiece was painted by Simon Vouet; Champaigne painted a “Marriage of the Virgin” (Wallace Collection, London) and this “Annunciation.” They seem to have been arranged around the walls, forming a narrative cycle.

    The Annunciation (ca, 1644). Philippe de Champaigne  (French, 1602–1674). Oil on wood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

    This picture was painted in for the private oratory of Anne of Austria, the widowed wife of Louis XIII. The oratory, a small oval room in the Palais Royal, Paris, was decorated by the most prominent French painters of the day. Its altarpiece was painted by Simon Vouet; Champaigne painted a “Marriage of the Virgin” (Wallace Collection, London) and this “Annunciation.” They seem to have been arranged around the walls, forming a narrative cycle.

     

  9. 10 Oct


    The Annunciation (1852). Yakov Fedorovich Kapkov (Russian, 1816-1854). “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

    The Annunciation (1852). Yakov Fedorovich Kapkov (Russian, 1816-1854).

    “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

     

  10. 21 Sep


    The Annunciation (1643-44). Bernardo Strozzi (Italian, Baroque, c. 1581–1644). Oil on canvas. Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. Early paintings show the dark emotionalism of Caravaggio. But by 1620, Strozzi had synthesized a personal style which fused painterly influences of the North with a monumental, realistic starkness. Venice infused his painting with a gentler edge, a style more acceptable to the local patronage, and one derived from his precursors in Venice.

    The Annunciation (1643-44). Bernardo Strozzi (Italian, Baroque, c. 1581–1644). Oil on canvas. Budapest Museum of Fine Arts.

    Early paintings show the dark emotionalism of Caravaggio. But by 1620, Strozzi had synthesized a personal style which fused painterly influences of the North with a monumental, realistic starkness. Venice infused his painting with a gentler edge, a style more acceptable to the local patronage, and one derived from his precursors in Venice.

     

  11. 9 Sep


    The Annunciation (ca. 1440). Rogier van der Weyden (1399/1400 – 1464). Oil on panel. Musée du Louvre, Paris. This work is linked to Luke 1:34. Central panel of a triptych. The triptych was made in Van der Weyden’s workshop but probably not by him. Experts point at the lack of Rogier’s usual rigour and at the inferior brushwork in the angel’s golden cope. This scene must have taken place around March 25th. There is no fire in the fireplace and the windows are open. The lilies in the foreground are symbol of the virgin’s purity.

    The Annunciation (ca. 1440). Rogier van der Weyden (1399/1400 – 1464). Oil on panel. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

    This work is linked to Luke 1:34. Central panel of a triptych. The triptych was made in Van der Weyden’s workshop but probably not by him. Experts point at the lack of Rogier’s usual rigour and at the inferior brushwork in the angel’s golden cope.

    This scene must have taken place around March 25th. There is no fire in the fireplace and the windows are open. The lilies in the foreground are symbol of the virgin’s purity.

     

  12. 3 Sep


    Annunciation. Petites Heures d’Anne de Bretagne (Little Book of Hours of Anne of Brittany), c. 1503. Artist not known. Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Anne de Bretagne as St. Mary with her second husband, the French King Louis XII, as Archangel Gabriel. A book of hours made for a wealthy patron often was extremely lavish, with full-page miniatures. In this book, the only saint to be honored with a miniature in the section of intercessory prayers is Saint Louis.

    Annunciation. Petites Heures d’Anne de Bretagne (Little Book of Hours of Anne of Brittany), c. 1503. Artist not known. Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

    Anne de Bretagne as St. Mary with her second husband, the French King Louis XII, as Archangel Gabriel.

    A book of hours made for a wealthy patron often was extremely lavish, with full-page miniatures. In this book, the only saint to be honored with a miniature in the section of intercessory prayers is Saint Louis.

     

  13. 21 Aug


    Virgin Annunciate (c. 1476). Antonello da Messina (ca. 1430–1479). Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo.  The first to use oil paints in Italy, Antonello was one of the most influential painters of the quattrocento. The Virgin Annunciate shows a masterly orchestration of light sources, generating an interplay of backlight. Antonello condenses the sacred event into the single pensive and realistic figure of the Virgin, a haunting image of the adolescent Mary when the angel Gabriel announces to her that she will bear God’s Son. The modest Sicilian female, attired in a simple blue mantle, is aloof and mysterious.

    Virgin Annunciate (c. 1476). Antonello da Messina (ca. 1430–1479). Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo. 

    The first to use oil paints in Italy, Antonello was one of the most influential painters of the quattrocento.

    The Virgin Annunciate shows a masterly orchestration of light sources, generating an interplay of backlight. Antonello condenses the sacred event into the single pensive and realistic figure of the Virgin, a haunting image of the adolescent Mary when the angel Gabriel announces to her that she will bear God’s Son. The modest Sicilian female, attired in a simple blue mantle, is aloof and mysterious.

     

  14. 19 Aug


    The Annunciation (1609-1610). Peter Paul Rubens (Belgium, Baroque, 1577-1640). Oil on canvas. Kunsthistorisches Museum. Rubens was a proponent of an extravagant Baroque style that emphasised movement, colour, and sensuality. He is well known for his Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. In addition to running a large studio in Antwerp that produced paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe, Rubens was a classically educated humanist scholar, art collector, and diplomat who was knighted by both Philip IV, King of Spain, and Charles I, King of England.

    The Annunciation (1609-1610). Peter Paul Rubens (Belgium, Baroque, 1577-1640). Oil on canvas. Kunsthistorisches Museum.

    Rubens was a proponent of an extravagant Baroque style that emphasised movement, colour, and sensuality. He is well known for his Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects.

    In addition to running a large studio in Antwerp that produced paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe, Rubens was a classically educated humanist scholar, art collector, and diplomat who was knighted by both Philip IV, King of Spain, and Charles I, King of England.

     

  15. 31 Jul


    Center panel. Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece), ca. 1427–1432. Workshop of Robert Campin, South Netherlandish (modern Belgium), circa 1375-1444. Oil paint on oak. Gabriel is about to tell the Virgin Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus.  Celebrated for its detailed observation, rich imagery, and superb condition, this triptych is associated with the Tournai workshop of Robert Campin (the Master of Flémalle). Stylistic and technical evidence suggests that the altarpiece was executed in phases, probably by three painters..

    Center panel. Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece), ca. 1427–1432. Workshop of Robert Campin, South Netherlandish (modern Belgium), circa 1375-1444. Oil paint on oak.

    Gabriel is about to tell the Virgin Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus. 

    Celebrated for its detailed observation, rich imagery, and superb condition, this triptych is associated with the Tournai workshop of Robert Campin (the Master of Flémalle). Stylistic and technical evidence suggests that the altarpiece was executed in phases, probably by three painters..