Annunciation of San Giovanni Valdarno

This religious painting from 1430 by Fra Angelico reflects the enduring importance of religious painting in the Early Renaissance. As the Dominican friar-painter whose luminous devotional works embody the spiritual ideals of the Early Renaissance, Fra Angelico brings gold ground technique to the sacred narrative, creating a work that served both devotional and artistic purposes in fifteenth-century Italian culture. This was a period of revolutionary change in European art, as painters in Florence and the Low Countries began breaking with medieval conventions to pursue naturalistic representation.

Fra Angelico employs radiant coloring and delicate linear grace to convey the spiritual gravity of the subject. The treatment of the figures shows careful study of earlier masters, while the palette and lighting create the devotional atmosphere the subject demands.