Annunciation, from "The Birth and Early Life of Christ"
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 18 15/16 x 14 in. (48.1 x 35.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.926
Tags
Art Historical Context
Hendrick Goltzius’s 1594 engraving *Annunciation* captures the pivotal biblical moment when the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the son of God. Created as part of the series *The Birth and Early Life of Christ*, the work places Mary in a serene domestic setting, with the angel dramatically descending amid swirling drapery and divine light. The composition balances intimacy and grandeur, inviting viewers to reflect on themes of humility and divine grace. Goltzius, a leading figure in Northern Mannerism, was renowned for his technical mastery of engraving. This med...
About the Artist
Hendrick Goltzius · 1558–1617
Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) was the most celebrated engraver of the Northern Renaissance and a pivotal figure in Dutch Mannerism. Born near the German-Dutch border, Goltzius transformed printmaking into a virtuoso art form through his revolutionary 'swelling line' technique, where the burin was manipulated to create lines of varying thickness that produced unprecedented tonal effects and three-d...