The Annunciation
ca. 1644
Medium
Oil on oak
Dimensions
Overall, 28 x 28 3/4 in. (71.1 x 73 cm); painted surface, 27 1/4 x 27 3/4 in. (69.2 x 70.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Wrightsman Fund, 2004
Accession Number
2004.31
Tags
Art Historical Context
Philippe de Champaigne's *The Annunciation* (ca. 1644) depicts the profound biblical moment when the Archangel Gabriel reveals to the Virgin Mary that will bear the Son of. Rendered in oil on oak durable panel medium favored for its smooth surface and fine detail—this nearly square painting (28 x 28¾ in.) creates an intimate, almost devotional focus, drawing viewers into the sacred encounter. Champaigne, a Flemish-born artist active in 17th Paris, blended Baroque drama with classical restraint, reflecting his ties to the austere Jansenist circle at Port-Royal. The work's balanced composition ...
About the Artist
Philippe de Champaigne · 1602–1674
He was known as one of the greatest portrait painters of 17th-century France. His art was based in an analytical study of appearances and on psychological truth. He was also one of the principal instigators of the Classical tendency and a founder-member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. He developed an interest in Jansenist thinking, typified by a severe plainness of style. His ...