Annunciation

Abstract

These sculptures of the Annunciate Virgin and the Archangel Gabriel were likely made to serve together as an Annunciation, though they were made a year apart and by two different artists. Inscriptions on the bases reveal that the angel was made by someone named Angelo, likely Angelo di Nalduccio, in 1370, and that the Virgin was made in 1369. The style and technique of construction is very different between the two. Mary is made from a single trunk of poplar, whereas Gabriel is made from walnut, hollowed, with multiple pieces added on the back and the sides. As for other works from this time, the angel has lost his wings, which were presumably originally made of wood or possibly a more ephemeral material, maybe fabric or even feathers attached to a wooden frame. The wings would have added to the theatrical effect of these sculptures. In fact, even though multiple layers of ample drapery are fully sculpted and finely painted and gilded, documents attest to a long tradition of adding actual clothes to these figures, perhaps additional cloaks, crowns, or jewelry. The polychromy on the angel is original, as is that on Mary's dress, but her flesh has been repainted. The original location is unknown, but they flanked a slightly later painting by Bartolo di Fredi in San Francesco in Montalcino, before being brought to Sant'Agostino in Montalcino and then their current location, the Museo Civico e Diocesano d'Arte Sacra in Montalcino. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.