The Annunciation and Life of the Virgin

Christmas season is upon us and as the day approaches, we will examine a few different, special types of images associated with the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ. Today we discuss the very first major illumination in the hours of the Virgin: the Annunciation. When did annunciation images become so popular? How can these images help us see some of the philosophical debates at the turn of the sixteenth century? A subject particularly concerned with vision, manifestation, and light, how can we see combinations of “Renaissance” and “Gothic” mentalities in the composition of Annunciation paintings? Find out today on the Les Enluminures podcast.     Resources: Book of Hours (Use of Rome)  The Calcagni Hours (Use of Rome)