Fireplace Plate The Annunciation To The Virgin Mary (94x96 Cm)

A Louis XVI style fireplace plaque, dating from the late 18th or very early 19th century and inspired by antiquity, features a medallion suspended from a garland depicting three women, a child in a wicker basket, and two cherubs. Above this scene, two doves on an olive branch radiate light. The scene represents the visit of Mary, seated on the left, already carrying the infant Jesus, to her cousin Elizabeth for the birth of her son, John the Baptist. Behind Mary, her mother, Anne, can be seen resting her hand on her shoulder. The three women were the subjects of a particular Annunciation, the two angels symbolizing the announcement made to Mary and Elizabeth, respectively. The doves and the branch recall, on the one hand, the coming salvation of humanity with Noah and the announcement of the end of the flood, and on the other hand, the announcement of divine redemption at the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan. It is therefore the beginning of a new covenant and a new era that is signaled, a promise of both love and peace. This delicate and symbolically rich biblical scene, a blend of continuity and radical newness, is a prophetic representation of the birth of a new world. It is also an allegory of the advent of the universal and social Republic. It weighs 105 kg. Bibliography: Revue Folklore de Champagne, January 1977, No. 55, page 16. "The Merchant of Cupids," after an ancient painting, discovered in Gragnano in 1759 (Naples Museum). You can visit our website: www.claudeaugustin.com