The Annunciation

The Andalusian illuminator, calligrapher and poet, Luis Lagarto, was active in New Spain in t h e late-XVlth and early-XVIIth centuries. His work is outstanding due to the perfection of the drawing, the virtuosity in the details, the skillful handling of perspective and space, and the refinement of the characters, all of which cause Lagarto to be considered one of the best neo-Hispanic Mannerist artists. His oeuvre includes the choir books of Puebla Cathedral. The Annunciation is one of the most frequently portrayed scenes in Christian art, since it marks the beginning of Christ’s life on earth, and hence of his redeeming mission. The contents of the said scene are defined by the narrative account given in St. Luke’s Gospel and by some traditions stemming from the Apocrypha. Hence, in this work, the Virgin Mary is shown kneeling in front of a lectern, with an open Bible. According to Western tradition, when Gods messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, appeared to inform Her that She had been chosen to be the mother of the Savior, She was reading the passage from the book of Isaiah which prophesied that a virgin would conceive. A sewing basket is also included, showing that the Virgin was working on the purple threads for the veil of the temple and thus identifying Her as a virtuous woman, while the vase containing white, blue and pink flowers symbolizes Her purity. God is depicted as a white-bearded old man emerging from the clouds in a burst of glory, while the Holy Spirit is shown as a dove. This work passed to the MUNAL from the collection of the San Diego Viceregal Painting Gallery in the year 2000.