About this artwork
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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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Martin Schongauer
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Title
- The Virgin of the Annunciation
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Place
- Germany (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- Made 1470–1475
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Medium
- Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
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Dimensions
- Sheet, trimmed to platemark: 17 × 11.7 cm (6 3/4 × 4 5/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.
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Reference Number
- 1955.1226
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/84749/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
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