The Annunciation
1480–89
Medium
Oil on panel, transferred to canvas
Dimensions
30 1/8 x 21 1/2 in. (76.5 x 54.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.113
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the serene glow of Hans Memling's *The Annunciation* (0–89), we witness a pivotal moment in Christian theology: the Archangel Gabriel announcing to the Mary that she will conceive Jesus. Painted in oil on panel—later transferred to canvas—this intimate 30⅛ × 21½-inch work exemplifies the Early Netherlandish style of the Northern Renaissance. Memling, leading Bruges master influenced by Jan van Eyck masterfully employs oil's glazing techniques for luminous depth, rendering fabrics, architecture, and ethereal figures with exquisite realism. Set in a domestic bedroom, as suggested by the comp...