From now through Epiphany, I’m going to showcase seasonal art from the
Old Masters, starting with Botticelli.
Allessandro di Mariano Filipepi Botticelli did several paintings of the
Annunciation. This one is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
City. According to the Met's website,
it was probably commissioned by a private patron sometime between 1485 and
1492.
The event in the painting is described in Luke 1:26-38. Here are
selected verses.
26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent
from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin
betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. And the
virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O
favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29But she was greatly troubled
at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30And
the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with
God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall call his name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne
of his father, David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob
forever and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34And Mary said to the angel, “How will this
be, since I am a virgin?”
35And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit
will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you,
therefore the child to be born will be called “holy—” the Son of God. . .” 38And
Mary said, “Behold I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to
your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Next week I’ll look at a painting by Rembrandt.
__________
The Botticelli painting is in the public domain because of its age.
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