The Annunciation
about 1610 | Peter Paul Rubens
Rubens painted this altar-piece immediately after his return from Italy. The purposeful use of light and shadow and ardent movement dramatically increase the elemental intrusion of the angel Gabriel into the earthly sphere. The flowing brushwork and warmly iridescent coloration of the angel, which contrast with the coolness and simplicity of the Virgin’s canonically blue-and-white dress, are reminiscent of Venetian painting , while the lighting, which is rich in contrast, is modelled on Caravaggio.
Rubens painted this altar-piece immediately after his return from Italy. The purposeful use of light and shadow and ardent movement dramatically increase the elemental intrusion of the angel Gabriel into the earthly sphere. The flowing brushwork and warmly iridescent coloration of the angel, which contrast with the coolness and simplicity of the Virgin’s canonically blue-and-white dress, are reminiscent of Venetian painting , while the lighting, which is rich in contrast, is modelled on Caravaggio.
Artist:
Peter Paul Rubens (1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerpen) DNB
Time:
about 1610
Object Name
Painting
Culture
Flemish
Material/technology:
Canvas
Dimensions:
Overall: 225 cm × 202 cm × 3,5 cm
Framed: 255 cm × 231,5 cm × 12 cm
Copyright
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie
Invs.
Gemäldegalerie, 685
Provenance
1776 acquired from the Jesuit Professed House in Antwerp