The Annunciation

c. 1583

Venetian artist Alessandro Vittoria translated into bronze the flickering light of Renaissance paintings. Here, the highly animated figures, drapery, clouds, and sky seem to move with excitement, heightening the drama between the Virgin Mary and the archangel Gabriel, who has descended from heaven to announce that Mary will bear the son of God.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Alessandro Vittoria (Italian, 1525–1608)

Date

c. 1583

Medium

Bronze

Dimensions

101.3 × 61.3 × 9.6 cm (39 7/8 × 24 1/8 × 3 3/4 in.)

Origin

Venice

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Edward E. Ayer Endowment in memory of Charles L. Hutchinson