The Annunciation

Devoutly kneeling, Mary listens to the words of the angel Gabriel, informing her of her pregnancy. Her hands, crossed upon her breast, betray her amazement; after all, she is still a virgin. Her virginity is underscored by the white lily which is shown level with her womb. In a beam of light above Mary, we see the Christ-Child, a foetus-like from. Holding the Cross, sign of his life's purpose, the baby descends towards Mary. Between him and his mother is the dove, the Holy Spirit. The painting shows the Annunciation and the moment of conception as almost simultaneous. The courtyard, seen behind the angel on the right, is a magnificent detail.

The name of this painter is unknown. We do know that a number of paintings are by him and that he possibly worked in Delft. At the start of the 20th-century, the art historian Friedlander attributed a small number of works to him and for want of anything better dubbed him 'Meester van de Virgo inter Virgines'. He derived this name from a painting showing Mary surrounded by four female saints. In a catalogue of works that appeared in 2004, 23 works were attributed to the master and, based on tests made on the wood, dated between 1468 and 1495.