Annunciation Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) (1488/90-1576)

Description of Titian’s painting The Annunciation

Working on this painting, Titian worked not only with his brushes but also with his fingers, trying in a rush of inspiration to show the image that struck him. It was as if he was trying to mold the image of the archangels, the Virgin Mary herself and Jesus, his apostles. He worked on this painting for five years, preparing it for the church. It did not come out as a luminous work, but rather as a rather scandalous one with "dirty colors". Titian was criticized by his contemporaries because of it. It is now considered one of the most daring of his oeuvre and of that era.

The painting depicts the scene in which the archangel Gabriel tells Mary that she is to conceive Jesus immaculately. The Virgin Mary is frightened and stiffened, a very bold move, for more often than not she is depicted humbly accepting the good news or even joyful. The Archangel only lightly touches the ground with his feet, and one wing is raised. He has his arms crossed in front of him, showing humility and submission to God. The white garment on him flutters freely, while the Virgin’s robes are dark blue and lie close to his body.

The drama of Christian subjects can be seen in this painting, which strikes the imagination and forces one to look closely at the small details and secondary characters. The Archangel Gabriel is the central character in the painting, with the apostles looking down on him from the clearly drawn low heavens. There are many little winged nude images, each with its own facial expression and features. Somewhere in the clouds there is a gap, which in itself is eye-catching.