Lippi's point of departure for this Annunciation was the Gospel of Saint Luke (1:35): "And the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee." Lippi interpreted this passage naturalistically, paying extraordinary attention to light and shadow yet not abandoning the medieval artist's love of pure color and gold embellishment. There is an analogy to the theological ideas of the Florentine Dominican Saint Antonino (1389–1459), who explained the biblical passage as follows: "The body of humanity will assume in Mary the incorporeal light of God." Dating about 1438–39, the two panels may have formed the wings of a folding triptych or may have been framed as a small devotional altarpiece, as they are here.

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