Italian school; XVIII century.

Italian school; XVIII century.
"Virgin of the Annunciation".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Presents faults in the frame.
Measurements: 102 x 78 cm; 112 x 89 cm (frame).
In this painting we see a Virgin of the Annunciation holding a book, with her head down in sign of humility and her hands crossed on her chest, indicating her submissive acceptance of the divine message. The figure is placed in the foreground, before a neutral and dark background, somewhat more illuminated behind the head, following a composition that is at the same time typical of contemporary portraiture and devotional painting, which brings the image even closer to the viewer, seeking to move the soul of the faithful who pray before the image.
The Annunciation is an episode widely represented throughout the History of Christian Art, since it is one of the main dogmas of the church, that of the Incarnation. Likewise, it is included both in the cycle of Christ's life and in that of the Virgin's life, which gives it a renewed meaning also as a narrative episode. Regarding the theme alluding to the Virgin of the Annunciation, the iconographic tradition includes a more narrative scene, in which the Archangel Gabriel appears to the Virgin, to tell her that she is pregnant. Normally the Virgin is placed behind an altar or table, where a book or white lilies, iconographic attributes associated with the Virgin, are usually placed. However, over the centuries the elements began to be reduced as can be seen in important works that collect the same iconography of the annunciation, based exclusively on the representation of the Virgin.