The Annunciation, Flemish Painter Of The 16th-17th Century

Flemish painter of the 16th-17th century
The Annunciation

Oil on canvas 844 x 33 cm./ in frame 63 x 52 cm.)

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The work presents itself with a canonical iconographic and stylistic scheme, with the Archangel Gabriel devoutly delivering the supreme annunciation to the Virgin child, although there are some details that make the composition very interesting.

Entering into the details of the study of the painting, of excellent workmanship, we can immediately appreciate a style rooted in the Flemish tradition, recognising in the compositional layout strong references to the great masters of the Renaissance such as Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Dieric Bouts and Hans Memling.

Our work, created in the early 17th century by a master active in Flanders, although customised, takes its cues from the countless Annunciations executed by such artists, such as:
1. Van der Weyden, Annunciation, Louvre, 1435 https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rogier_van_der_Weyden_-_The_Annunciation_-_WGA25591.jpg
2. Van der Weyden, Saint Columbanus Altarpiece, Alte Pinakothek, Munich https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rogier_van_der_Weyden_008.jpg
3. Dieric Bouts, Annunciation, Musdeo del Parado https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dieric_Bouts_-_The_Annunciation_-_WGA2979.jpg
4. Hans Memling, Annunciation, Metropolitan Museum https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437490

These paintings seem to have been conceived to satisfy the Flemish taste for intimate domestic scenes, according to which religious scenes had to be set within the bourgeois buildings of the time, and not solely within a divine dimension.

According to the 'devotio moderna', the new religious trend in Flanders at that time, the believer was encouraged to meditate on the humanity of Christ, and therefore a contemporary setting such as the one in our painting was intended to effectively involve the viewer in the scene.

We are therefore immersed in the interior of Mary's rooms who, intent on reading and still with her back turned, receives the sudden visit of the archangel Gabriel. The angel appears dressed in a very precious and decorated priestly robe, as if he had come to celebrate mass rather than to deliver a message, and in his hands he does not hold the classic white lily but a crosier.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning the details, with their strong symbolic value, that skilfully enrich the scene, many of which underline Mary's role as Mother of God: from the vase containing lilies, canonical symbols of purity, to the crystal objects placed on the small table near the bed, also alluding to the clarity of her soul; the clear and transparent water contained in these objects represents her purity at the moment of conception, as a metaphor for the Virgin's holiness. The same is true of the presence of the window, also beside the bed, whose light shines through the glass objects, symbolising her flesh pierced by divine light.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with an attractive antique gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

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