The Annunciation

Abstract

This papier-mâché object (c. 1575) at the Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia in Rome depicts The Annunciation, the moment when the angel Gabriel (left) tells the Virgin Mary (right) that she will conceive and bear the Son of God. The scene is central to Christian theology, symbolizing the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Set in Mary’s home, as indicated by the canopy and detailed wallpaper, the composition also features a small figure of God the Father and several putti above Gabriel and Mary. This piece shares its design and was based on the same mould or painting as a painted and gilded low-relief stucco of the same subject from the Casa Museo Rodolfo Siviero in Tuscany. While both versions date to the second half of the sixteenth century, the version at the Palazzo di Venezia is more refined, showing slight variations in Gabriel’s arm position, God the Father’s placement, and the room’s architecture, for example. This version has been attributed to the sculptor Francesco Segala. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.