My Two Favorite Annunciations

"The Annunciation" is the genre in art which portrays the moment when the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she is to bear the Son of Man.

There is a wide variety of symbols or standard elements that may be contained in an Annunciation which includes:

• Mary reading the Bible to demonstrate devotion
• Mary wearing a blue robe, a foreshadowing of royalty
• A pot or vase of lilies or other white flower signifying purity
• An empty vase means a pure vessel
• A straight line, visible or not, from Gabriel's mouth to Mary
• Gabriel looking like he just flew in to signify his quick flight from Heaven
• Mary appearing to be afraid, perhaps holding her palm up in the sign of piety
• Garden or scene in the garden to remind the viewer that her son takes away all sin
• The dove, or Holy Spirit
• The scallop sea shell to signify pilgrimage 
• Mary & the angel are separated from the world
• A gilded background (pre mid-1400s)

I love the attached two Annunciation pieces for their differences.  

Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation (1472-1475)
The top piece is Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci's from 1472-1475. This is considered to be one of Leonardo's early pieces and perhaps included some collaboration with other artists.  But the departure from tradition is pure Leonardo.  His soon-to-become other worldly trademark background will be used repeatedly in his work. He takes Mary outside, where she is casually reading in a garden, at an elaborately carved desk (a copy of his master's carved desk) and decides not to include the Holy Spirit as a dove or some of the other symbols of three.  He was an independent thinker.

I love this piece for its soft, graceful facial expressions, reverence by the angel and the sheer elegance of color and simplicity of composition.  Although this piece is not terribly large, it has an entire wall devoted to it at the Uffizi and seems to mesmerize the viewer.

Simone Martini's Annunciation (1333)
In contrast, my favorite traditional depiction is from the International Gothic style painter Simone Martini in his Annunciation from 1333.  Simone Martini painted for the German and French courts, not reached by the influence of the Italian Renaissance for many years later.  Remember, at this time in history, 150 years earlier than Leonardo, Italian artists were still developing their own style that was to symbolize the Renaissance.  While very early in the Italian Renaissance, this Annunciation still has many of the Byzantine features, including the most stunning "Tatar" style cloth worn by Gabriel that swirls around his highly detailed feathered wings.  Tatars were mongols in the Eastern Empire.  His swirling cloth actually looks like a fine taffeta with a metallic gold thread.

Martini's Annunciation follows the rules better.  Mary receives a message written from Gabriel's mouth directly along a straight line to her head that says "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women." What you cannot discern from a photograph is the relief.  There is a technique in which red clay is placed on the painting and then the gilding is applied over the top that allows the viewer to see the written message in three dimension.

Gabriel holds the olive branch, or symbol of peace, while pointing to the Holy Spirit above.  Mary has a star on her blue cloak, which is used in Eastern iconography to signify the "Star of the Sea" (again that sea reference) as the North Star is used by mariners to guide them.

I included a close up of St. Ansansus to show the gorgeous gold leaf halo which has a stamped look with beads and radiant lines.

I think the reason I like these two distinctly different pieces is because of their elegance and tenderness in expression.