THE VIRGIN ANNUNCIATE

Giovanni di Domenico · 1498/1503

Florentine Renaissance · Stained Glass

A Luminous Vision of the Annunciation

Created at the very height of the Florentine Renaissance, The Virgin Annunciate is an extraordinary stained-glass portrayal of the Virgin Mary at one of the most sacred moments in Christian history—the Annunciation.

Mary stands within an elegant architectural niche, her figure surrounded by brilliant passages of ruby red, deep blue, glowing yellow, coral, and delicate floral ornament. Her long golden hair falls gently around her shoulders, while a radiant halo identifies the young woman at the center of this magnificent window.

Beside her stands an elaborately ornamented lectern. Mary holds a book, traditionally recalling her prayerful contemplation of Scripture at the moment the Archangel Gabriel arrives with his astonishing message.

Her attention turns toward the unseen angel.

It is a moment of stillness—but a moment upon which the course of Christian history turns.

Gabriel has come to announce that Mary has been chosen to bear the Son of God:

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” — Luke 1:28

And Mary will answer:

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.” — Luke 1:38

With that humble assent—Mary's fiat—the mystery of the Incarnation begins.

Created in Light

There is something especially beautiful about depicting the Annunciation in stained glass.

Unlike a painting, stained glass is transformed by light. As sunlight passes through the colored glass, the image itself seems to become illuminated from within.

For Renaissance Christians, this quality carried profound spiritual meaning. Light could symbolize divine truth and the presence of God. In a sacred window such as this, physical light and spiritual meaning become beautifully intertwined.

Mary is therefore not merely portrayed in color.

She is revealed through light.

The brilliant reds and blues of her garments, the golden tones of her hair and halo, the shell-like architectural form above her, and the delicate border of flowers would once have glowed as daylight entered the church.

The Other Half of the Annunciation

The Virgin Annunciate was not originally intended to stand alone.

It formed a pair with The Angel of the Annunciation, another magnificent stained-glass window attributed to Giovanni di Domenico.

Together they created the complete sacred encounter.

Gabriel occupied one window, bringing the message of God.

Mary occupied the other, receiving it with humility.

The two windows were created for the Church and Convent of Cestello in Florence, later known as Santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi, where they adorned the choir chapel behind the high altar.

Archival documentation from 1503 records payment to a priest named Giovanni di Domenico “de vreti”—literally associated with “the glass windows”—for two choir windows containing figures.

Separated from their original architectural surroundings today, the two surviving windows still allow us to imagine the extraordinary effect they must once have created as sunlight passed through Gabriel and Mary within the sacred interior of a Renaissance Florentine church.

The Artistry of Renaissance Stained Glass

Although Florence is celebrated throughout the world for its Renaissance paintings, sculpture, and architecture, stained glass was also an important part of its artistic heritage.

Creating a monumental window of this sophistication required exceptional craftsmanship.

Individual pieces of colored glass were carefully selected and cut to create the composition. Painted details gave definition to faces, hair, garments, ornament, and architectural elements, while the dark network joining the pieces of glass became part of the visual design itself.

The result is both artwork and architecture—a sacred image whose appearance continually changes according to the light passing through it.

At nearly six and a half feet tall, The Virgin Annunciate would have possessed a commanding presence within its original church.

Details of the Original Artwork

Title: The Virgin Annunciate
Artist: Giovanni di Domenico
Date: 1498/1503
Culture: Florentine, Italian Renaissance
Medium: Stained glass
Overall Dimensions: 199.4 × 78.8 cm (78 1/2 × 31 in.)
Collection: Widener Collection
Current Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

View The Virgin Annunciate at the National Gallery of Art

A Personal Note from Barbara Ann

When I discovered The Virgin Annunciate, I was captivated by its beauty.

There is something extraordinary about imagining this magnificent image more than five centuries ago, illuminated by the changing Florentine sunlight and glowing within the sacred interior of a church.

The richness of the colors, Mary's quiet expression, the beautiful ornament surrounding her, and the very idea of creating this sacred moment in light itself moved me deeply.

And I found myself thinking about how many people may never have the opportunity to see it.

Today, this remarkable work is carefully preserved in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Yet masterpieces such as this were originally created to be seen—to fill sacred spaces with beauty, to inspire contemplation, and to lift the heart and mind toward something greater.

That belief lies at the heart of why I created this collection for MasterpieceLiving.Shop.

I want to bring these extraordinary works of sacred art out from the quiet of museum collections and archives and allow their beauty to become part of our lives again.

I believe we should be able to surround ourselves with things that inspire us.

Beauty this magnificent should not be forgotten. It should be seen. It should be lived with. And it should continue to inspire.

Through this collection, I hope to share some small part of the wonder I felt when I first encountered The Virgin Annunciate—and to give this remarkable Renaissance masterpiece another opportunity to be admired, cherished, and enjoyed more than five centuries after it was created.

Barbara Ann
Owner & Designer
MasterpieceLiving.Shop