Annunciation of San Giovanni Valdarno

The Annunciation of San Giovanni Valdarno, painted by Fra Angelico around 1430 to 1432 in tempera on panel, shows the moment when the angel announces to Mary that she will bear a child. The composition is organised in two sections divided by arches, with the enclosed garden reduced to a glimpse through the openings on the left, a reference to Mary's virginity. Light enters consistently from that garden, and the vanishing point lies inside the house, drawing the viewer's eye to the meeting of the two figures. Notable features include the transitional architecture, halfway between medieval pointed forms and Renaissance classicism, and a medallion showing a prophet holding a scroll. The palette is rich: greens in the garden, rose and gold in the angel's robes, blue and red for Mary, and a starry ceiling. Among the plants, a palm tree alludes to Christ's future martyrdom, and on a tiny hill the expulsion from Paradise appears. The panel is one of three versions of the subject by the artist, and its predella, attributed to an assistant, shows five scenes from Mary's life.

Painter

Fra Angelico

Date

1430

Medium

tempera, panel

Dimensions

195 × 158 cm

Museum

Museo della Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie

Movement

Italian Renaissance

Genre

religious art

Depicts

Annunciation, angel, Mary, woman

Share:FacebookWhatsApp