Monday, April 02, 2007

Artistic Representations of the Annunciation



Though I know nothing about art I would call this the Edwardian Annunciation.

For really neat Annunciation pictures from a Florentine Art Historian.

Count yourself very fortunate if you read Italian.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm no connoisseur myself, but IF this is 'Edwardian' - or whateverian it may be - it's hideous.
The look on her face is as that of one observing a press conference, and about to give mild assent to the disclosures contained therein.

Gotta be Protestant; and rationalistic, revisionist Protestant at that.

Londiniensis said...

The last painting in the series (the blasphemous one, with the "terrifying pigeon") is actually called "The Annunciation of the bird flu" and is one of the "Edgy paintings with political and social themes by Washington DC artist Dana Ellyn." Unfortunately, it's rather an arresting image. It is still on sale at $1,800 so perhaps some good Christian with cash to spare would buy it and destroy it.

Anonymous said...

I hate this Annunciation too. It looks like Our Lady just got out of bed. I'm partial to Fra Angelico myself, and I love the ones that depict Our Lady reading. The tradition is that Our Lady had the unique gift of being able to read (unique to anyone in those times, but particularly for a woman) and would spend her time reading and studying the scriptures.

elena maria vidal said...

Very beautiful. Our Lady's virginal reticence and modesty is captured. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I just got on that site you linked.
Wow.
The first painting by Maurice Davis is, if not everything one would like visually (although I think he has given Our Lady a very sweet face and the purity of her countenance is very well partrayed), at least very devout and theologically correct.
The angel kneels. Why? God Himself is now present personally before him with Our Lady's assent; as well as the fact that he is reverencing her.
For at the moment of her most holy and Immaculate Conception, was she not endowed with a superfluidity of Grace? More than all the heavenly hosts combined?