Virgin Mary Annunciation. Archangel Gabriel

These two pieces of an altar that was not preserved were painted by another great talent of the early Renaissance - Sandro Botticelli. They form a complete composition. The heavenly messenger appears to the Mother of God to tell her of the forthcoming birth of her child, the Son of God. In his hands he is holding a white lilly - a symbol of the Virgin Mary's innocence.

Sandro Botticelli depicts this, the most joyous of Biblical events, as a dramatic moment filled with a sense of the inevitable sacrifice of Christ. The Madonna obediently accepts this news of the birth of Jesus Christ. She seems filled with sorrow and grief at the suffering to come. The trembling figure of the Archangel is replete with prayer and compassion. A desire to reflect the clear lines in the folds of his clothing, the nervous expression and tension in the pale colours used all add to the dramatic impact of this scene.

This work is one of Botticelli's later pieces, known for their exalted religious themes. The artist's tragic world view was underscored by dramatic events in his native Florence. He witnessed social unrest led by the Dominican friar Savonarola and later his execution. He urged the city's residents to turn away from luxury and earthly pleasures in view of the impending Day of Judgment. Sandro Botticelli's melancholic pictures reflect the mood of these troubled times and mark the end of the early Renaissance.