The Annunciation

The Annunciation by Botticelli (Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi): Robert Lehman Collection, 1975

What to notice

Notice how Gabriel and Mary face one another across a small gold-lit interior; their gestures, the lectern, and the narrow format make the exchange intimate.

Discover

Botticelli painted this small Annunciation around 1490 in tempera and gold on wood. Gabriel and Mary face each other across a narrow interior, where measured gestures and precious materials make the biblical encounter intimate and concentrated.