The Annunciation

12th century
Church of San Nicolás, Portomarín, Spain

The palms-out gesture is common in Annunciations of this period, as is the angel's pointing finger, which by convention signifies speech. Hanging on the plant between the two figures are two bunches of grapes, possibly symbolic of the blood that Christ will shed in the Crucifixion and the wine that commemorates that sacrifice. The plant is also an early example of the tendency to express some sort of separation between the two figures.

Read more about images of the Annunciation.

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