Aankondiging van de geboorte van Christus aan Maria 1550 - 1625

This is Pieter Jalhea Furnius's engraving, "Aankondiging van de geboorte van Christus aan Maria," made around 1600. The composition is stark, rendered entirely in monochromatic lines that articulate dramatic forms and textures. Our eye is drawn to the upper right of the scene where God is in the clouds, the dove of peace and the angel of annunciation are illuminated. The artwork is divided into two distinct yet interconnected realms. We see the Virgin Mary interrupted during her prayer, and the heavenly sphere in a state of divine irruption, as God announces that she will bear the son of God. This interplay between the earthly and the divine invites us to meditate on the threshold between the human and the transcendent. The scene is constructed upon a network of lines that convey light, shadow, and form. The engraving’s formal structure serves not only to depict a biblical event but also to invite contemplation on the very nature of faith, revelation, and the profound mystery of divine intervention in human history.