Artwork
Annunciation
Annunciation is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Benvenuto Tisi. It dates from 1535 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Benvenuto Tisi’s oil on canvas, dated 1535, portrays the biblical Annunciation. The composition is housed in the Uffizi Gallery and presents the moment when the Virgin Mary receives the angelic message of her forthcoming role.
Subject & Meaning
At the right, a kneeling woman—identified as Mary—clutches her hands to her chest, her red dress and blue mantle highlighted by a golden halo. To her left, the angel Gabriel, rendered in green attire with red wings, points upward, signifying the divine proclamation. A white dove above his hand symbolizes the Holy Spirit, while a lily at his feet represents purity.
Technique & Style
Tisi employs a balanced arrangement of figures against a stone wall punctuated by columns, integrating a painted landscape within the interior space. The use of vivid colors—reds, blues, and greens—contrasts with the muted background of trees, hills, and distant architecture, creating depth through atmospheric perspective.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑sixteenth century, the work entered the collection of the Uffizi Gallery, where it remains on display. Its attribution to Benvenuto Tisi, also known as Garofalo, aligns with his activity in the Ferrarese school during the Renaissance.
Context
The Annunciation was a frequent subject in Renaissance art, allowing painters to explore theological themes through intimate, domestic settings. Tisi’s version reflects contemporary interest in merging sacred narrative with realistic interior details, a hallmark of the period’s devotional imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Benvenuto Tisi (Italian: ; 1481 – September 6, 1559), also known as Il Garofalo (Italian: ), was a Late-Renaissance-Mannerist Italian painter of the School of Ferrara.
