The Annunciation
- Artist
- Paolo de Matteis, Italian, 1662–1728
- Date
- 1712
- Material
- Oil on canvas
- Classification
- Paintings
- Current Location
- On View, Gallery 204
- Dimensions
- 81 1/8 x 70 1/8 in. (206.1 x 178.1 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Contact Us
- Object Number
- 69:1973
NOTES
In this scene from the biblical New Testament, the archangel Gabriel arrives bearing news that the Virgin Mary will bear a child, the infant Jesus. The clouds beneath the messenger, his accompaniment of winged cherubs, and a golden glow, make it clear that he is divine. A dove in the golden aura near the top of the canvas symbolizes God sending the child into Mary’s womb. The artist used soft colors and delicate forms to evoke a sense of poetic ideal.