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The Annunciation
(Byzantium and Early Russia)
Judging from its size, this was probably one in a row of panels depicting the earthly life of Christ upon the altar screen (called an iconostasis) of an Orthodox church. The archangel Gabriel and Mary are shown in the town of Nazareth, but the drapery over them suggests that the event occurs indoors. The staff identifies Gabriel as a messenger of God whose Holy Spirit, represented by a dove, is descending upon the Virgin. Mary holds purple thread that, according to legend, she was spinning for a curtain for the Temple of Jerusalem. "Mother of God" is written above her head.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Alexandre Polovtsoff (Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Polovtsov), Saint Petersburg and Paris, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1928, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2008-2009 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Museum of Biblical Art, New York; Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville; Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha. |
| 1959-1960 | Russian Art: Icons and Decorative Arts from the Origin to the Twentieth Century. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 9/21/1965 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
| 9/16/1975 | Treatment | cleaned; retouches |
| 9/16/1975 | Treatment | stabilized |
| 8/10/1988 | Treatment | cleaning; restoration |
| 2/1/2008 | Examination | Fish glue applied; |
Geographies
Russia
(Place of Origin)
Nazareth (Place Depicted)
Measurements
25 1/4 x 20 3/8 in. (64.1 x 51.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1928
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.1181