Fra Angelico’s Annunciation: Symbolism and Meaning
The Annunciation
Artist: Beato Angelico
Date: 1445
Museum: Museo del Prado
Dimensions: 194 cm
Medium: Tempera on panel
This delicate panel at the Prado Museum depicts the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. The main subject is complemented by smaller scenes in the predella (the lower section of the altarpiece). These scenes, in reading order, are:
- The Birth of Mary
- Her Betrothal to Joseph
- The Visitation to St. Anne
- The Epiphany of Jesus
- The Transit and Purification of Mary’s Soul after Death
In the last scene, it is remarkable how her son, Jesus Christ, receives the soul of his mother from heaven.
In the main panel, near the Annunciation scene, the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise is shown. The two scenes are combined, suggesting that Adam and Eve are in the same outdoor garden area that opens to the porch where the Virgin receives the archangel. Fra Angelico uses this to symbolize the original sin committed by Adam and Eve and its redemption through the incarnation of Christ in Mary. This narrative encompasses both the beginning and the end of the Old Testament, while heralding the new era after the coming of God to Earth.
Fra Angelico uses a hierarchy of sizes to establish a temporal order: the smaller figures of Adam and Eve represent the most distant time, while the larger figures are closer to the Christian era and the most important action.
The architectural framework is more than just a spatial reference; it is overwhelmed by the figures. If the Virgin Mary were to stand, she would not fit in the room. The columns are functionally impossible, as their stems are too thin to support the roof. The colors and the elegance of the room allude to a refined, princely setting, touched by God. The clothing of the archangel and the Virgin also contributes to the noble image of the characters. The use of blue and gold indicates a wealthy patron, as both colors were made with semi-precious minerals and were very expensive.
Another reference to a powerful customer is the treatment of the garden, without depth or perspective, mimicking the bottom of a tapestry, which at that time were imported from Brussels.
The iconography of the Annunciation is characteristic of the time: the angel descends to the presence of Mary, who appears scared but submissive to the divine command. Between the Virgin and the Archangel is a vase with white lilies, a symbol of her virginity. The hand of God looks down from the sky, sending a golden ray with the dove of the Holy Spirit to Mary’s ear, signifying the moment of Jesus’ conception.
Fra Angelico painted this work over ten years, between 1435 and 1445, during the Quattrocento, for Santo Domingo de Fiesole. It was sold in 1611 to Duke Mario Farnese. His family had diplomatic and trade relations with Spain since the 16th century, so the painting eventually became a gift to a Spanish nobleman and adorned various temples before arriving at the Prado Museum in 1861.