The Annunciation by Francesco del Cossa was created in 1470 and is in Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden. The size of the work is 137 x 113 cm and is made of tempera on wood.
About the Work
Works from the Ferrarese school of painting constitute an important group within the Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden. Francesco del Cossa is one of the most significant representatives of this school from the Renaissance period.
The Archangel Gabriel announces the birth of Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26–38). The artist sets this biblical scene within a magnificent architectural space, rendered with a profound sense of depth through the use of central perspective. In the upper left, against the blue of the heavens, God the Father appears, sending down the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. The snail crawling along the bottom edge of the painting serves as a symbol of the Virgin Mary’s purity—in medieval texts, it was believed that snails were conceived asexually through the dew. The delight in the narrative elaboration of the scene and the precise, highly detailed execution are characteristic of the Renaissance era. Interestingly, the artist incorporated a prop from mystery plays: the archangel’s halo is depicted as a mechanical construction.
