Nicola di Maestro Antonio, Triptych of the Annunciation
Last quarter of the 15th century
Ducal Palace, Urbino, Italy
In the central panel Gabriel speaks the words AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA ("Hail Mary full of grace," Luke 1:28). Unusually, the architectural division between the two figures has been minimized, with the angel standing on the same floor as Mary and his hand reaching out past the vertical separation suggested by the column. Note also that the green trees and grass in the background further unite the composition.
Mary's right hand crosses over her breast to express her "troubled" initial reaction to Gabriel's greeting (Luke 1:29), but at the same time the palm-out gesture of her left hand expresses her acceptance of God's will (Luke 1:38).
Reflecting Luke 1:35, the Father oversees the scene from above, his face and beard lined up along the same axis as the dove.
In the left wing of the triptych is St. John Gualbert, identified by his habit and by the hand cross that he holds. In the right wing St. Benedict holds a book and the bundle of sticks that is one of his attributes. Saints often hold books in their images, but this one may refer specifically to the influential Rule of St. Benedict.
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Also see commentaries on these details:
Read more about images of the Annunciation.
Read more about images of God the Father.
Read more about images of St. John Gualbert.
Read more about images of St. Benedict.
Photographed at the Ducal Palace by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.