The Virgin Annunciate

Antonello da Messina (c. 1430–1479) — c. 1474–1476 · Oil on panel · Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo

“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” — Luke 1:38 (KJV)

About

Antonello da Messina's Virgin Annunciate (Palermo, about 1474–1476) catches Mary at the very instant of interruption: she has just looked up from her book, one hand raised; the angel is not even in the picture — we stand in Gabriel's place.

The Meaning

The genius of the panel is that the viewer becomes the messenger: God's word comes to Mary through us reading Luke aloud, and her startled attention is fixed on anyone who speaks it. The annunciation happens again whenever Scripture is opened.

For Us Today

Keep your Bible open and your ear quicker than your answer. Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it (Luke 11:28) — Mary's raised hand is the moment between hearing and obeying; live there.

Image: Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons — the file’s page. Tap the picture to open the full-size original there.