The Annunciation
Masolino da Panicale·1423
Historical Context
Masolino da Panicale's Annunciation, painted around 1423 and now at the National Gallery of Art, captures the transitional moment in Florentine painting when the International Gothic was giving way to the new spatial naturalism. Masolino worked alongside and sometimes collaborated with Masaccio, making him a key figure in this artistic revolution. Masolino da Panicale occupies a fascinating transitional position in the history of Italian painting, working alongside the revolutionary Masaccio in the Brancacci Chapel frescoes while maintaining a gentler, more decorative approach rooted in the International Gothic.
Technical Analysis
The Annunciation is set within a receding architectural space that reflects the new interest in perspective, though Masolino's elegant figure style and decorative sensibility retain the grace of the International Gothic tradition.
