Annunciation with Saints

Lorenzo Veneziano's Annunciation with Saints from 1371, now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia, is a major work by the leading Venetian painter of the mid-fourteenth century. Lorenzo played a pivotal role in transforming Venetian painting from its strongly Byzantine foundations toward a more naturalistic Gothic idiom influenced by developments in Bologna and Padua. The Annunciation was among the most frequently commissioned subjects for Gothic altarpieces, celebrating the moment of the Incarnation.

Executed in tempera and gold on panel in a multi-compartment Gothic altarpiece format, the painting combines Venetian richness of color with the new spatial awareness entering from mainland Italy. The ornate gilded frame with pointed Gothic arches and the lavish use of tooled gold and costly pigments reflect the wealth of Venetian patronage.