The Annunciation

Stone relief
Exterior Cathedral of Santa María de la Regla, León, Spain

This sculpture appears to have been set into the wall later than the 13th-century date of the cathedral. The angel's blessing gesture and Mary's palm-out gesture of acceptance are common in the 13th century but not subsequently. However, the style of the figures, especially the faces, seems to be in line with Renaissance naturalism.

The vase of flowers, usually a small detail in Annunciation paintings, dominates the composition for no reason that I can imagine.

The words ave maria ("hail Mary") on the banderole are worn but can still be read.

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Photographed at the cathedral by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.