The Annunciation
c. 1434
Jan van Eyck, the godfather of oil painting, drops us right into a hyper-realistic 15th-century church for the ultimate divine announcement. The Angel Gabriel, sporting a ridiculously heavy, jewel-encrusted red robe and rainbow peacock wings, has just interrupted Mary’s quiet reading session. Mary, draped in expensive ultramarine blue (the most pricey pigment of the era!), looks up in a mix of surprise and acceptance. Van Eyck was obsessed with light and detail—you can even see a beam of light shooting down from the window carrying a tiny dove (the Holy Spirit), while white lilies in the foreground symbolize purity. It’s basically a high-definition snapshot of a miracle.
- Technique
- Oil on panel
- Material
- Oil paint
Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.