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The Annunciation

ca. 1435
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 956
The vase of lilies, prominently placed between the Angel Gabriel and the Virgin in this Annunciation scene, symbolizes both the Virgin’s purity as well as Christ’s Incarnation. The panel was originally part of the highly celebrated altarpiece that Sassetta, the renowned Sienese artist, painted between 1437 and 1444 for the Franciscan church of Borgo San Sepolcro in Arezzo. The Annunciation formed the central pinnacle on the back side of this multi-paneled, double-sided altarpiece. The panel has been the subject of considerable abrasion, repainting, and has been cut down in size.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Annunciation
  • Artist: Sassetta (Stefano di Giovanni) (Italian, Siena or Cortona ca. 1400–1450 Siena)
  • Date: ca. 1435
  • Medium: Tempera on wood, gold ground
  • Dimensions: Overall, with engaged (modern) frame, 30 x 17 1/8 in. (76.2 x 43.5 cm); painted surface 28 3/4 x 16 1/8 in. (73 x 41 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.1.26
  • Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Madonna and Child with Angels, Sassetta (Stefano di Giovanni) Italian, Tempera on wood, gold ground
Madonna and Child with Angels
Sassetta (Stefano di Giovanni)
ca. 1445–50
The Journey of the Magi, Sassetta (Stefano di Giovanni) Italian, Tempera and gold on wood
The Journey of the Magi
Sassetta (Stefano di Giovanni)
ca. 1433–35
The Madonna of Humility, the Annunciation, the Nativity, and the Pietà, Bartolomeo Vivarini Italian, Tempera and gold on wood
The Madonna of Humility, the Annunciation, the Nativity, and the Pietà
Bartolomeo Vivarini
ca. 1465
Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Wilderness, Osservanza Master Italian, Tempera and gold on wood
Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Wilderness
Osservanza Master
ca. 1435
The Annunciation to Zacharias; (verso) The Angel of the Annunciation, Giovanni di Paolo (Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia) Italian, Tempera and gold on wood
The Annunciation to Zacharias; (verso) The Angel of the Annunciation
Giovanni di Paolo (Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia)
ca. 1455–60

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