The Annunciation
A
lavish domestic interior frames this scene of the Virgin Mary receiving the
news that she will bear the Son of God. An elaborate bed, claw-footed bookstand,
and agitated swags of drapery compete for space in the densely packed
composition. The pot of lilies in the foreground symbolizes Mary’s purity. Heinrich Aldegrever modeled
his engraving on Albrecht Dürer’s
woodcut from The Small Passion. He even followed his famous predecessor’s example by signing in the
upper right-hand corner. Aldegrever, however, embellished his composition with
decorative details to make it uniquely his own.
Robert B. Fizzell (1889-1978), Kansas City, MO, by December 14, 1956;
Given by Robert B. Fizzell to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of
Art, Kansas City, MO, 1956.