Annunciate Virgin
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Authors
Matteo Civitali
Date
Type
image
Language
Keyword
Annunciate , Virgin , Mary , Annunciation
Alternative Title
Abstract
This painted wood sculpture of the Annunciate Virgin was originally paired with a statue of the Angel Gabriel, to make an Annunciation. Not only has that other statue been lost, but this one was radically refashioned at a later date, as revealed by conservation photos, and so the middle of statue was re-sculpted, giving it a different form. At that time, much of the original polychromy was lost, except for some of the flesh tones and the sleeves. (Even these may not be original.) Although it is difficult to judge the body, the sculpture seems to have been created with such a simple dress, with tight sleeves, to facilitate the addition of actual fabric clothing. Mary's cloak and veil, depicted in contemporary paintings of the subject, are not sculpted here. This would have made the statue group seem like actors on a stage in costume. Civitali also chose a fashionable Renaissance hairstyle for his sculpture, again helping viewers relate to the story, which happened long before and far away. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Description
San Frediano, Lucca
Citation
Matteo Civitale e il suo tempo: Pittori, scultori e orafi a Lucca nel tardo Quattrocento (Milan: Silvana, 2004), 362-3, cat. 3.3.