Laurentius-Altar: Verkündigung an Maria

Michael Pacher's Laurentius Altar Annunciation belongs to the Tyrolian master's most celebrated altarpiece commission, the Saint Wolfgang Altarpiece, which remains in the pilgrimage church for which it was created. Pacher combined the sculptural carved altarpiece tradition of German woodcarving with his own advanced understanding of Italian perspective painting, creating ensembles that were unprecedented in German art for their spatial sophistication. This Annunciation panel, with its elaborate carved and painted frame context, demonstrates how painted panels and carved figures worked together in Pacher's altarpiece programs to create unified devotional experiences.

Pacher's remarkable spatial illusionism, with dramatically foreshortened architectural interiors derived from Mantegna, creates a convincing depth that was revolutionary in the context of Northern Alpine painting.