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The Virgin of the Annunciation
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This engraving is half of a two-print scene depicting the Annunciation to the Virgin, when the angel Gabriel told Mary she would miraculously give birth to the Son of God. Presumably buyers could purchase the prints separately, although Schongauer probably hoped people would want to collect them both. His engraved lines masterfully emulate different natural qualities and textures, for example the spiraling locks of hair and the lily, a symbol of Mary’s purity.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe Virgin of the Annunciation, 1470–80. Martin Schongauer (German, c. 1450–1491). Engraving. The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1953.264
