The Annunciation

This Annunciation, an episode drawn from the Gospel according to Saint Luke, shows the Angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary. In a Renaissance interior, Gabriel, in the presence of the Father and the dove of the Holy Spirit, interrupts the young girl while she is reading to announce that she will bear the infant Jesus.

In the foreground is a careful depiction of a bouquet of Provins roses, bi-colored pansies, a daisy, and blue aquilegias. These flowers, shown in detail by the painter, deliver a symbolic message. The aquilegia, linked to the holy spirit by the shape of its five petals, is reminiscent of five doves and may reflect the Virgin’s sorrow. The daisy, which blooms at Easter and foretells the Passion of Christ, symbolizes Mary’s beauty and her all-conquering love, while the pansy—that shy woodland flower—evokes her humility.