The Annunciation
c. 1583
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
101.3 × 61.3 × 9.6 cm (39 7/8 × 24 1/8 × 3 3/4 in.)
Classification
relief
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
44741
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Alessandro Vittoria translated into bronze the flickering light of Venetian Renaissance paintings. Working in wax (from which the finished bronze was then cast), he manipulated this relief’s form and edges to catch the light. The result is a highly animated surface in which figures, drapery, clouds, and sky seem to move with excitement, heightening the drama of the archangel Gabriel’s announcement that Mary will bear God’s son. Fully sculpted in the round, the archangel’s arm points to the scene...
About the Artist
Alessandro Vittoria · 1525–1608
Italian sculptor and medallist. Comment on works: Sculptor; Medalist