Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
The Annunciation
c. 1610
acquired in 1776
© Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Rubens painted this altarpiece for the Antwerp Jesuit college soon after his return from Italy. His choice of a night setting for the Annunciation allows him to emphasize the dramatic entry of the archangel Gabriel into the earthly sphere by giving prominence to the play of light and shadows and the passionate gestures of the two protagonists. The angel's delivery of the Divine message to the Virgin is rendered with the help of expressive gestures and expressions. The fluent brushwork and the angel's warm iridescent colours - contrasted to the Virgin's canonical blue and white - are reminiscent of Venetian painting. The contrasting lighting, however, is inspired by Carravaggio.