The Annunciation

The Master of the Legend of the Magdalene's Annunciation belongs to his corpus of altarpiece panels depicting the foundational mystery of the Incarnation. The Annunciation was among the most theologically significant subjects in Christian art, the moment when Gabriel's greeting and Mary's assent set in motion the entire economy of salvation. This master's treatment follows the standard iconographic program while deploying the characteristically sumptuous Flemish approach to spatial setting and textile rendering, the lily and descending dove providing the standard Marian and divine attributes within an elaborate architectural or domestic interior.

The devotional composition is rendered with attention to the expressive and contemplative qualities that served the painting's function as an aid to prayer and meditation.