Reflections on the Symbolism of the Annunciation in the Italian Renaissance - part 4 - FRA ANGELICO

#annunciation #FraAngelico #Renaissance

This short series of videos is based on an illustrated presentation given recently to the Dante Alighieri Society & Rock Bank Transpersonal Fellowship Online. I hope very much that you will enjoy pondering these beautiful paintings as much as I did.

Written & Presented by Anne Maria Clarke
Audio Production David Johnson
Ave Maria - sung by and reproduced courtesy of Rebecca Gorzynska

Apologies for mis-spelling in the title

The Annunciation portrays a profoundly spiritual moment – the crossing over of an angelic presence into the everyday world of time and space, to greet an ordinary flesh & blood maiden who will become the Mother of God.

From the 12th to the 16th centuries the Annunciation was one of the most commissioned subjects in the Christian world, inspiring Italian artists like Duccio, Simone de Martini, Giotto, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael.

After the High Renaissance the theme fell from favour so to speak but was picked up again with devotion by the Victorian Pre-Raphaelites like Gabriele Rossetti, William Waterhouse & Edward Burne- Jones.