The Annunciation: The Virgin Mary

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Interrupted from her reading, the Virgin Mary raises one hand in surprise at the Angel Gabriel’s announcement that she will bear the son of God (Luke 1: 26-8). Rays of golden light beam down upon her as she conceives Christ by the word of God. Her lectern and folding chair, of the so-called ‘Savonarola’ type, reflect contemporary domestic furnishings. The door of the lower cupboard of the lectern is open, revealing the Virgin’s woven work basket containing her ball of wool and her shears. This scene and its companion The Angel Gabriel, also in the National Gallery’s collection, are related to a set of four other panels by Gaudenzio Ferrari which are now in the Galleria Sabauda, Turin. The panels came from an altarpiece painted between 1508—9 for the church of Sant’ Anna in Vercelli.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

The Annunciation: The Virgin Mary

Date

before 1511

Medium

Oil and tempera on poplar

Measurements

H 58.4 x W 58.4 cm

Accession number

NG3068.2

Acquisition method

Layard Bequest, 1916

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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