Annunciatie c. 1566 - 1616

This is an anonymous print of The Annunciation, made using engraving. Here we see the Angel Gabriel visiting Mary, and the holy spirit in the form of a dove, telling her that she will bear the son of God. This kind of imagery, which would have been made in the Netherlands, had a public role: reinforcing religious beliefs. It helped to visually construct the world for the people of its time, shaping ideas about religious doctrine, gender roles, and the relationship between the earthly and divine realms. The Latin text at the bottom translates to “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” The print also uses visual codes, such as light and clouds, to represent the divine and reinforce the idea of the miraculous. By researching the cultural and religious history of the time, and the changing role of religious institutions, we can start to understand the ways in which art gives shape to social life.