Artwork Page for The Virgin of the Annunciation

Details / Information for The Virgin of the Annunciation

The Virgin of the Annunciation

1470–80

Martin Schongauer

(German, c. 1450–1491)
Culture
Germany
Medium
engraving
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1953.264
Catalogue raisonné
Lehrs V.43.3
State
I/I
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

This engraving is half of a two-print scene depicting the Annunciation to the Virgin, when the angel Gabriel told Mary she would miraculously give birth to the Son of God. Presumably buyers could purchase the prints separately, although Schongauer probably hoped people would want to collect them both. His engraved lines masterfully emulate different natural qualities and textures, for example the spiraling locks of hair and the lily, a symbol of Mary’s purity.
A vertically oriented white-gray engraving with black ink depicts the Virgin Mary, a woman with a light skin tone and long, curly hair. Standing with downcast eyes, she rests her right hand on her chest and holds a book against her voluminous, draped robes. To our left, a tall lily plant stands in a vase. At the bottom center, the monogram "M + S" is inscribed on the ground.

The Virgin of the Annunciation

1470–80

Martin Schongauer

(German, c. 1450–1491)
Germany

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