Annunciation 1472-74
Once thought to be the work of Domenico Ghirlandaio, this painting
is now generally agreed to be an early work by Leonardo, painted
sometime between 1472 and 1474. The painting was originally housed in
the Convent of Monte Oliveto outside Florence and is probably an
altarpiece, although the identity of the patron is unknown.
The work illustrates the influence of Verrocchio on the young Leonardo,
in the sculptural quality of the figures and their draperies, and the
forms of the Virgin’s reading table, which call to mind Verrocchio’s
tomb for Piero de’ Medici, completed in 1472. The architecture seen on
the right, in front of which the Virgin is seated, reflects the
conventions of linear perspective probably learnt by Leonardo in
Verrocchio’s workshop. The blurred, hazy outlines of the features of
the landscape background give the impression of great distance,
heralding the artist’s development of aerial perspective in the
replication of atmospheric effects and the effects of natural light.
Leonardo’s profound interest in naturalistic
detail is apparent in virtually every element of this painting,
including the landscape, the numerous plants and trees, and the
figures, all of which the artist studied first hand from life.
- Medium Tempera on panel
- Size 16 x 60 cm
- Location Galleria degli Uffizi
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The Annunciation was a popular theme during the Renaissance period.
The image is meant to suggest the moment of the Virgin’s miraculous
conception, when Christ became man through the Holy Spirit who
descended from God. The Angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin, “You
shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus”.
The three essential elements are the angel, the Virgin and the dove of
the Holy Spirit descending towards her.
St. Bernard and other early writers emphasized that the event
took place in springtime, so sometimes flowers in a vase are included
or a Lily, which is also a symbol of the Virgin’s purity. According to
St. Bernard, at the time of the Annunciation, the Virgin was reading
from a book the words of the prophet Isaiah, “A young woman is with
child and she shall bear a son”.
The Archangel Gabriel usually has wings and is dressed in
white. Here he kneels on a carpet of flowers within an enclosed garden
or hortus conclusus, which is another traditional symbol of the
Virgin’s purity. The flowers also refer to the feast of the
Annunciation, which was the 25th March and so associated with
springtime.
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