The Annunciation

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Dimension: 34.9 х 47 cm.
Location: Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain.

The painter’s approach shows his knowledge of traditional iconography and a deliberately archaic approach. The Apocryphal Gospel of Saint James refers to the fact that when the archangel said that Marie would be the mother of the Messiah she was spinning the temple veil. This is alluded to in the spindle, which she holds and which is also traditionally a metaphor for pregnancy. Gabriel, kneeling on the cloud, raises his fingers in greeting while holding a stem of lilies as a symbol of purity. The whole scene itself is inspired by the Italian tradition of painting.