The Virgin of the Annunciation

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Martin Schongauer conceived the Angel and the Virgin of the Annunciation as two separate engravings, forming a type of diptych. The angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary often appeared against a dark ground on the outer wings of altarpieces, painted in a monochromic style called grisaille, which emphasizes the figures’ sculptural relief. Schongauer’s pared-down background replaces the view of Mary’s bedroom usually found in Annunciation scenes. Instead, Mary receives the news of her divine motherhood from the angel with only a book in her hand; the potted lily represents her absolute purity. Schongauer’s treatment of the flowing drapery further underscores the figures’ monumentality.

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