The Annunciation
Albert Bouts · c. 1480 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Guide
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From the museum
The scene of the Annunciation to Mary that she will give birth to Christ is depicted here as a contemporary scene that may have been familiar to any viewer at the end of the 1400s. Mary is portrayed as an ordinary but wealthy woman who is interrupted by the Archangel Gabriel as she reads a book of hours. This type of book was enormously popular in the late Middle Ages as a prayer and devotional book, particularly among the wealthy, literate nobility, and city aristocracy. Netherlandish artists are known for their attention to lifelike detail: notice the sliver of landscape through the window at the left of this composition.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0
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Details
- Maker
- Albert Bouts (Netherlandish, 1451/55–1549)
- Date
- c. 1480
- Medium
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- Framed: 75.2 x 69 x 8.5 cm (29 5/8 x 27 3/16 x 3 3/8 in.); Unframed: 50.2 x 41.5 cm (19 3/4 x 16 5/16 in.)
- Place of origin
- Netherlands
- Held by
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · On view · 112 Northern Renaissance
- Credit line
- Bequest of John L. Severance
Image: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0
Shown in
- The Medieval Top Seller: The Book of HoursAug 26, 2022 – Jul 30, 2023
- JuxtapositionsSep 11, 1965 – Oct 10, 1965
- 35th Anniversary ExhibitionJun 20, 1951 – Sep 30, 1951
- Classic to Baroque: A Style Change in the ArtsSep 30, 1949 – Nov 13, 1949
- Exhibition of the Month: Texture in ArtOct 6, 1947 – Dec 8, 1947