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In a garden before a villa, the angel Gabriel kneels with a lily to tell the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of God, while a misty landscape of mountains and water opens behind them. Painted around 1472–1476, the Annunciation is one of Leonardo da Vinci's earliest works.
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An early work in Verrocchio's workshop
The Annunciation was painted in Florence around 1472–1476, when Leonardo da Vinci was about twenty and still working in the workshop of the sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio. It was probably made for the church of the monastery of San Bartolomeo at Monteoliveto, near Florence. For a long time it was attributed to other painters, and only in the late nineteenth century was it recognised as an early work by Leonardo, perhaps with help from the workshop.
The subject comes from the Gospel of Luke: the angel Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary and announces that she will conceive and bear a son, Jesus.
The angel
On the left, Gabriel kneels on the grass, raising his right hand in blessing and holding a white lily in his left. His face is lit softly, his curly hair falling to his shoulders. His wings are not the decorative wings of earlier painting but strong, realistic wings modelled on those of a bird of prey, reflecting Leonardo's lifelong study of flight. They were later lengthened by another hand.
Detail 1
The face of Gabriel
The angel's profile is lit with a soft light, his curls carefully drawn. He raises his hand in blessing as he delivers his message.
Detail 2The white lily
Gabriel holds a white lily, the flower of the Virgin's purity, painted with the precision of a botanical study.
The Virgin
On the right, Mary sits at a lectern in front of a villa, interrupted in her reading. She raises her left hand in a gesture of surprise and acceptance, while her right hand keeps her place in the book. Her calm face shows humility before the message.
Detail 3Mary's raised hand
The Virgin lifts her hand in surprise as she receives the angel's message, keeping her other hand on the open book.
The marble lectern
The lectern in front of Mary is carved with acanthus leaves, scrolls and lion's feet. It is based on the tomb of Giovanni and Piero de' Medici that Verrocchio sculpted in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence, showing the workshop's sculptural culture.
Detail 4The carved lectern
The marble lectern is decorated with acanthus and scrolls, inspired by Verrocchio's Medici tomb in San Lorenzo.
The landscape
Behind a low wall, a dark row of cypresses and other trees stands against a misty landscape: a river or lake with boats, a port, and distant mountains fading into blue. It is an early example of Leonardo's aerial perspective, in which distant forms grow paler and bluer.
Detail 5Mountains in the mist
Beyond the trees, a harbour and pale blue mountains dissolve into haze, an early example of Leonardo's atmospheric perspective.
A problem of perspective
The Virgin's right arm seems too long, and the lectern seems too close to her. Some historians explain this as a beginner's error; others think the painting was designed to be seen from below and to the right, from where the distortions disappear. Either way, the Annunciation reveals the young Leonardo's genius and his passion for nature.
Seeing the Annunciation
The painting measures about 98 by 217 centimetres and hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
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When did Leonardo paint the Annunciation?
He painted it around 1472–1476, when he was about twenty and working in Verrocchio's workshop.
What does the lily mean?
The white lily symbolises the purity of the Virgin Mary.
Why do the angel's wings look so real?
Leonardo modelled them on the wings of real birds, reflecting his study of flight.
Where is Leonardo's Annunciation?
It is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Sources and further reading
- Uffizi Galleries, collection notes on the Annunciation
- Frank Zöllner, Leonardo da Vinci: The Complete Paintings (2003)
- Martin Kemp, Leonardo da Vinci: The Marvellous Works of Nature and Man (1981)
