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ARTIST'S PAINTINGS IN THE FIRST JOYFUL MYSTERY   -    THE ANNUNCIATION

Catholic Radio Dramas.com DVD Artist Name Name of Painting Date Painted Artist's Country Museum About this Painting
 
 Raphael Spozalizio -   The Engagement of the Virgin Mary 1504 Italian Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan Raphael added his name and the painting date, 1504, on the face of the temple in the background. At the center is the ring Joseph solemnly places on the Virgin's finger while holding a staff in bloom, symbolizing his purity and the honored office he holds chosen by God. The staffs held by other suitors remain dry while two of them break their staffs in disappointment.
 
 Garofalo Annunciation 1550 Italian Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome This tempera on wood panel is ablaze with striking colors taking in all of the elements of the annunciation described in Sacred Scripture. Atop is the heavenly scene, the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit surrounded by angels with the Angel Gabriel sent to deliver the message from God the Father to the Virgin. The majestic beauty of entire scene is filled with harmony and grace. 
 
 Lanfranco The Annunciation c.1623 Italian The Hermitage

St. Petersburg, Russia

 Oil on copper
 
 Jassens The Annunciation c1645 Flemish Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent The dramatic lighting effects used in  this painting by Jan Janssens shows the influence of Caravaggio. The significant impact of the Archangel Gabriel 's message is dramatized by the radiant light that accompanies him. The presence of the Holy Spirit is evident by the symbol of the dove overshadowing the Virgin Mary. The serenity of Mary conveys her humility and acceptance of what is to come.
 
 Botticelli Holy Trinity 1441-1493 Italian Courtauld Institute Galleries, London The painting depicts the Holy Trinity as an object of adoration by Mary Magdalen and St. John the Baptist inviting the viewer to join in worship. The lower foreground shows Tobias with the Archangel Raphael. The work was commissioned as an altarpiece for the Magdalene convent. 
 
 Pinturicchio The Annunciation 1501 Italian Cappella Baglioni,

Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore, Spello

 Pinturicchio's fresco of the Annunciation was commissioned for a chapel in Spello, near Perugia. The fresco, with its myriad of details and subplots, is an example of Pinturicchio's decorative style, so much admired in the nineteenth century. This scene betrays Pinturicchio's knowledge of ancient Roman painting, as well as his awareness of the value of still-life. With a touch of ingenuity, he includes on the right wall his own portrait, emblazoned with his name, as a painting within the painting
 
 Master of Flemal Mérode Altarpiece c 1427 Netherlands Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York The division shows the Virgin Mary with Saint Joseph in other quarters working with tools associated with the passion of Christ: nails, hammer, pliers,  the wood of the cross and the sword shaped saw St. Peter would use to cut off the ear of the soldier in the garden all prefigure Christ's passion and death. The mouse trap suggesting the Incarnation would trap Satan. 
 Rogier van der Weyden The Annunciation 1440 Flemish / Brussels Musée du Louvre, Paris The Blessed Virgin at prayer is visited by the Archangel Gabriel. March 25 shows the fireplace no longer used and covered with a wooden panel. The white lilies are symbols of the purity of the Virgin. 
Fra Angelico  The Annunciation 1430-1432 Italian

Musée del Prado, Madrid

 This tempera on wood painting, known as the Del Prado altarpiece show Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden; a reference to the Genesis account of the promise of a Redeemer; and Mary as the new Eve.
 
 Orazion Gentileschi The Annunciation 1623 Italian Galleria Sabauda, Turin This vibrant oil on canvas work, considered Gentileschi's masterpiece, has an arresting life-like quality patterned after Caravaggio and is alive with color and effective use of light. The white bed in the background and the white lily held by the Archangel Gabriel symbolize the purity of the Virgin Mary, soon to be the mother of the Redeemer. 
 
 Botticelli Cestello Annunciation 1489-90 Italian Galleria degli Uffiz       Florence This oil on wood panel altarpiece uses a series of lines giving dimension from the interior scene to the landscape seen through the window. The Archangel Gabriel has just landed as suggested by the billowing garments he is wearing. The lines from his arm and hand match the same position of those of the Virgin Mary. The diagonal lines of the red floor tiles create a perfect dimension and provide a pleasant contrast to the sweeping curves of the principle subjects. 
 
 Pereda The Holy Trinity c. 1660 Spain Museum of Fine Arts     Budapest This painting is a section, probably the top portion of an altarpiece. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit extend loving blessings upon the habitat of those created in their own image and likeness.