The Feast of the Annunciation: History and Artistic Legacy.
Today, the Church celebrates one of the most solemn Feasts of the year, the Annunciation, the moment when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Virgin Mary, bringing the message of salvation that would change history forever, as narrated in the Gospel of Saint Luke (Luke 1:26-38). This represents a pivotal moment within Christian theology as it marks the beginning of the Incarnation narrative in which God is made human and lived among us. According to the Gospel passage, the Father sent the archangel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth, greeting her with the words “hail, full of grace” and telling her she is to conceive a son through the Holy Spirit and that this child will be the Son of God. The humble acceptance of the lowly maiden marks the beginning of the Incarnation and is expressed in the words “let it be done unto me according to thy word”.
Filippino Lippi's Annunciation in the Carafa Chapel
at Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, c.1470.
This liturgical feast is conveniently celebrated on 25th March, nine months before Christmas, thus marking the symbolic conception of the Christ. Its origins go back to at least the 5th century, especially in the Eastern use. In the Byzantine tradition, it was known as the Annunciation of the Virgin or the Annunciation of the Theotokos, the title of “God-bearer” which was affirmed by the Council of Ephesus in 431, thus strengthening Marian devotion and feasts associated with her. By the 7th century, the liturgical celebration of the Annunciation had spread throughout Christendom. It was especially important because it honored Mary’s humility and obedience as well as the inauguration of God’s revelation and history of salvation to humanity, as beautifully described in the Lumen Gentium document from the Second Vatican Council.
Francesco Salviati's Annunciation
at San Francesco in Ripa, c.1535.
Theological interest in the Annunciation begins early through the works of the Church Fathers who saw it as the turning point within our redemption history. One of the earliest understandings is that of Irenaeus of Lyon in the 2nd century who describes Mary as the “new eve”, following in a tradition that dated back to apostolic times. He believed that just as Eve disobedience contributed to our fall, Mary’s obedience then made our redemption possible. He writes that “the knot of Eve’s disobedience was united through the obedience of Mary”, thus marking that history of salvation which began with the fiat. The Annunciation is therefore not simply the beginning of God’s earthly life in the Christ but also the moment in which the story of sin is reversed. Later patristic writings expand on this idea. Saint Augustine of Hippo believed that the importance of her faith points to the Christ having been conceived first in her mind through faith before the actual conception in the flesh through her body. The Augustinian interpretation of the Annunciation is rooted around the power of belief and obedience before the divine word. In a similar manner, Augustine’s mentor, Ambrose praises Mary as that model of humility and contemplation laying the basis for Christian Marian devotion as we know it. In his commentary of Luke’s Gospel, he emphasizes Mary’s humility and quietness upon the archangel’s arrival, marking the deep moment of profound prayer she had before giving her response.
Lorenzo Monaco's Annunciation
at Santa Trinita in Florence, c.1410.
The later medieval understanding of the Annunciation was also shaped by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in the 12th century who preached a famous sermon in which he sees all of humanity waiting for Mary’s response to Saint Gabriel, addressing the Virgin herself, telling her how the whole world is waiting for her reply, because it is through her consent that God’s salvific mission can truly develop. This is a dramatic theological perspective that also reinforces Mary’s choice in the acceptance of God’s plan. In the 13th century, the great Dominican scholastic theologian, Saint Thomas Aquinas, offers a systematic reflection on the Annunciation in the Summa Theologiae in which he considers it in relation to the mystery of the Incarnation. He also stresses the importance of the angel’s appearance and message as the conception of Christ could only occur through her gracious but conscious consent. According to him, God did not impose the Incarnation upon her but willingly chose a humble, young maiden who could nonetheless carry on in the greatest mission of all. Her fiat represents the importance of human freedom within God’s salvific plan. Aquinas also reflects on the role of the angel. He stresses the importance of the angelic revelation as an intermediary between God and humanity, the angel is the divine messenger who communicates God’s intention while pastorally preparing Mary for the conception via the Spirit. Aquinas believes the Annunciation is a harmonious partnership between God’s grace and human freedom. He also reflects on the spiritual meaning of the fiat – he believes her humility and obedience are essential parts to the Incarnation, since it is through that consent that God’s plan can unfold and this is why he reinforces the belief the Annunciation marks the start of the Incarnation, the Word became flesh at the fiat. Aquinas’ thought further strengthened Marian devotion within late medieval liturgy and piety.
Domenico Ghirlandaio's Annunciation in the Tornabuoni Chapel
in Santa Maria Novella in Florence, c.1490.
It was during this time and well into the early modern period, that the Annunciation was of great importance even within civic life. In many parts of Europe, time was not calculated from 1st January but from 25th March, this was known as the Stile dell’Annunciazione, this was particularly prominent in Florence, where the Annunciation was New Year Day until 1750. The symbolic meaning behind this is because the conception of Christ was seen as a moment of rebirth and thus particularly appropriate to mark the beginning of the new year. In the Renaissance, the feast was therefore both a liturgical and a civic festivity.
A view of Firenze from the Palazzo Pitti.
The first depiction of the Annunciation is an early 3rd century fresco from the catacombs of Saint Priscilla in Rome. From the later Middle ages, the Annunciation was also one of the most popular subjects in Christian iconography. This particular subject allowed the masters to depict a moment that is both narrative and theological, the encounter of the divine and the human at the moment of the Incarnation. Through the centuries, artists developed a rich language surrounding this theme. The Archangel Gabriel and the Blessed Virgin Mary are often placed on opposite sides, often separated by architectural elements such as columns and doorways but also pieces of furniture, usually a lectern. This is meant to highlight the separation between the heavenly sphere and the earthly realm within that very dialogue, immersing the scene within an aura of pathos that allows the faithful to immerse oneself spiritually within that eternal moment. The architecture, often opening into an intimate yet ethereal garden, allows us to experience the sense of modesty in which Mary’s encounter takes place.
Carlo Crivelli's Annunciation
at the National Gallery in London, c.1485.
As is the case across the whole spectrum of Christian iconography, a number of symbolic objects frequently feature in these artworks. The archangel Gabriel is often holding a lily, a symbol of Mary’s virginity. While the Blessed Virgin Mary is usually shown reading Scripture, highlighting her meditation on God’s word. Rays of light can appear, descending from heave, often accompanied by a dove representing the Holy Ghost and marking Christ’s conception. In some works, the scene unfolds within an enclosed garden, the hortus conclusus, another sign of Mary’s purity deriving from the Song of Songs, another nod to Mary’s virginal state is often the presence of her untouched bed, sometimes visible through the slight opening into her bedroom, in many depictions a cozy Renaissance studiolo.
Filippo Lippi's Annunciation
at the National Gallery in London, c.1485.
A fascinating characteristic of the iconography of the Annunciation comes from late Medieval theology which sees it as a sequence of spiritual and emotional stages in the Virgin’s response to Gabriel. The first of these is the cogitatio, the moment of reflection, when Mary, startled, holding her hands near her chest, begins to ponder on the significance of the meeting. Then is the interrogatio when she asks the archangel how such a conception could occur, pointing at herself or lifting a hand in inquiry. The third phase is the humiliatio in which Mary expresses her humility before the will of God, bowing her head in prayer and crossing her arms or holding her hands in prayer. Finally is the meritatio as Mary accepts the mission and gives consent, extending a hand and/or looking up. The great masters of the Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods used these moments by representing the Virgin in slightly different ways through her gesture and posture; startled at first, then contemplative, bowed in reverence, while the archangel’s pose conveys divine authority. Art historians have identified other moments, such as the affectus, a moment of fear, usually conveyed via her facial expression; also the gestatio, in which she is seen performing a domestic act; also the adoratio, a gesture of devotion towards God; finally, a tacit moment of consent.
Antoniazzo Romano's Annunciation in
Sant'Onofrio al Gianicolo in Rome, c.1490.
Among the most influential Renaissance executions is probably the Fra Angelico Annunciation in the Convent of San Marco in Florence. The scene is presented with immense spiritual calm and clarity. The scene unfolds within a simple loggia whose columns separate the two figures. The atmosphere is quiet, contemplative, reflecting the needs of the religious house, emphasizing humility, silence, meditation, in order to allow the faithful to concentrate on the theological meaning of the work.
Fra Angelico's Annunciation
in the Convent of San Marco in Florence, c.1445.
A different Renaissance approach is that of Filippo Lippi who introduces the naturalism, emotional warmth as well as stoicism, that is so characteristic of the Florentine Quattrocento. The architecture is that of an Italian palazzo, an elegant interior, this would become a feature of Florentine Annunciations, stressing the domestic element of the iconography. The architecture follows the humanistic attention to linear perspective, reflecting that classical understanding of spatial order. It is within this well-ordered approach that Lippi brings the drama of the sacred event into the contemporary world, making it relevant and immediate when admired by the viewer.
Later in 15th century Florence the theme is finely reinterpreted by Sandro Botticelli whose Annunciation of Cestello focuses on the dramatic emotional exchange between the two, as Gabriel kneels in a graceful fashion as represented through the movement of his wings, Mary is withdrawing in a gesture of pure humility betraying both her fear, surprise, and contemplation. Botticelli’s sense of movement, conveyed through the elongated bodies and flowing drapery, stresses the spiritual importance of the iconography through the rhythm of this holy composition. Another Florentine, Domenico Ghirlandaio, incorporated the Annunciation within the larger narrative of the Tornabuoni Chapel in Santa Maria Novella. His sense of realism rendered through his detailed rendering of urban life and architecture, derived from the Flemish love for detail, is combined with the religious narrative, bringing the Incarnation into this very world, or at least, 15th century Florence.
Sandro Botticelli's Annunciation
at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, c.1490.
Meanwhile, in Rome, the Renaissance still had a Byzantine/Medieval language, the realism of the new art sometimes founds its home against the gilded backgrounds of old. Local master, Antoniazzo Romano, combined these two elements. His Annunciations can be found throughout the Eternal City’s churches, possibly commissioned by the religious houses as Antoniazzo and his school worked for less exorbitant costs than the Florentines! His most exciting Annunciation, that at Santa Maria sopra Minerva, is also his last work. Commissioned by the Dominican Cardinal Torquemada (the good one), it shows Mary in a dialogue with the cardinal who instituted a dowry for unmarried women in Rome at a time in which being in such a state would have meant poverty.
Antoniazzo Romano's Annunciation
in Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, c.1485.
As Renaissance art developed into Mannerism, artists experimented with the new dramatic language in which unusual colors and harmonies or shapes characterized the new style. Perhaps, the most significant Annunciation from this period is the fresco by Jacopo Pontormo in the Florentine church of Santa Felicita. The archangel Gabriel and Mary appear on a white background, divided by a window, they appear almost weightless and move through the space of the chapel itself, mildly decorated in soft pastels. Gabriel gently glides towards the Virgin in a dynamic motion, the composition gives a sense of spiritual intensity rather than calm, much different from earlier Renaissance works, thus opening the door to a new idiom. The Annunciation was a common iconographical theme in the Renaissance , whether it was in fresco or on panel, it usually featured within larger cycles representing the life of the Virgin within God’s history of salvation. With the Baroque, the Annunciation adopts an even more dramatic language, conveying all the emotion that the encounter would have brought to the Virgin, aware of her mission within God’s larger plan. One fine example is the Domenichino Annunciation in the Chapel of Saint Cecilia in the Roman church of San Luigi dei Francesi, in which the ethereal encounter is echoed by the thundering of the angelic spheres in the form of tempestuous clouds.
The Annunciation is a central theme in Christian art, and it is clear as we can see in its popularity in late Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque art. Its theological meaning centered on the mystery of the Incarnation and Mary’s humility provided a profound framework, opening a window into the moment that changed the history of our salvation. That moment in which God chose the humblest of creatures, a young woman from a distance province of the Roman Empire to carry his Son and bring us all to a new life in him. Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
