Fra Filippo Lippi, 'The Annunciation', about 1450-3

A vase of white lilies, a symbol of the Virgin Mary’s purity, balances on a low wall, which surrounds a garden filled with wildflowers – and divides the picture into two. The enclosed garden (or ‘hortus conclusus’ in Latin) was a symbol of Mary’s virginity; it is found in many images of her, such as Benozzo Gozzoli’s little picture of the Virgin and Child enthroned with angels.

The scene shows the Annunciation, when Mary found out that she would conceive a son, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost. The Archangel Gabriel, huge peacock-feather wings outstretched behind him, kneels in front of her to tell her the news. As Gabriel speaks, a small dove, the symbol of the Holy Ghost, flies towards Mary’s belly: this is the moment of Christ’s conception. It has been sent by God, whose hand we see appearing from a deep blue cloud that represents the heavens. A golden light emanates from a gap in Mary’s pink dress and she bows her head towards it, in acceptance.

This picture comes from the Medici palace in Florence, where it most probably hung above a door. It was made as a pair, and the other panel, which shows seven Medici patron saints, is also in our collection. The Annunciation was an appropriate scene for a domestic setting: according to the accounts in the Gospels, the angel appeared when Mary was at home. Although she was not wealthy, Lippi has furnished Mary’s house with elegant and rich furnishings to match the palatial setting. The bed behind her resembles contemporary Florentine furniture, and it is draped with a fabric that is embroidered with gold thread. Her chair, too, is draped with a golden damask fabric, like a throne – an indication of her role as Queen of Heaven.

The marble walls are soft shades of apricot and pink, and the carving is in the classical style which was popular in Renaissance Florence. Below the vase, an emblem used by the Medici family is carved into the wall: two feathers encircled by a diamond ring. The immense detail with which Lippi has painted Gabriel’s wings probably reflects the fact that peacock wings were also a Medici symbol in this period.

The Annunciation was an extremely popular subject in Florence. Like in many Italian cities, its feast, celebrated on 25 March, marked the first day of the calendar year. The panel might have hung over the door of the palace’s study – its ceiling was decorated with the signs of the zodiac and, therefore, the months of the year.