Ecole Française Début XIXè : L 'Annonciation sur panneaux de bois (H 56 Cm L 36 Cm)

The Annunciation is a typical scene of Christian iconography. It represents the announcement of a divine motherhood made to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel. It is described in Luke's Gospel alone. The type of the Virgin with the book, here present, is characteristic of the Western Annunciations. It is said that the Virgin read in the Old Testament the prophecy of Isaiah: Behold, the young girl is pregnant and is going to give birth to a son whom she will call Emmanuel "(Is 7:14). The work, which Marie holds in her left hand, is staged on a low cabinet covered with a fabric with pompoms with the back of a prie-dieu protruding. Mary, kneeling, her right hand on her heart, is dressed in a dress of celestial blue and wrapped in a mantle of earthly red which echoes that of the Angel Gabriel. The calm of her face is reinforced by the presence of the halo, finely painted with an aspect of relief. Behind her, an open curtain could symbolize an ancient rite of union, here between the divine and the human. This hanging delimits and closes the space, giving the impression of a room. The Archangel Gabriel is in a standing station which underlines his authority and the importance of his role of messenger, his finger of the right hand pointed towards the sky of which he transmits the message. He holds in his left hand a lily with non-sexed flowers, symbol of the purity and virginity of Mary. Winged, he occupies the space of a very strong presence and his gaze naturally brings us to Mary. He is dressed in a white dress and a red coat whose folds in movement, make the scene very alive. Our eyes are drawn to the power of the golden yellow of its halo surmounted by its name. These highly decorative panels have some accidents, wear and tear due to their use. Archangel panel dimension: H 56.5 cm / L 36 cm / D 2.5 cm Marie panel size: H 54.5 cm / L 37 cm / D 2.5 cm