The Annunciation 

Giulio Cesare Procaccini painted *The Annunciation* with oil on canvas, and the surface is remarkable. The artist has used the oil paint to create luminous skin tones and soft drapery. Look closely and you’ll see how the texture of the canvas and the layering of the paint contribute to a sense of depth and movement. Procaccini’s mastery of the medium allowed him to create a work with both emotional depth and visual appeal. Oil painting, by this time, was a well-established technology. Pigments, ground and mixed by apprentices, yielded the raw material for the artist's virtuoso display. We can only imagine the division of labor in Procaccini’s workshop, and the many hands that contributed to the painting’s ultimate effect. Paying close attention to materials and making allows us to appreciate both the skill of the artist and the broader context in which this work was produced.