The Virgin Annunciate 1485 - 1499

This is Benedetto da Maiano’s terracotta sculpture, “The Virgin Annunciate.” It was made in Florence during the late 15th century, a time when religious art was a powerful tool for shaping social norms. Da Maiano’s sculpture presents the Virgin Mary as a figure of humility and grace. Her downcast gaze and the gentle curve of her body communicate submission and piety, virtues highly valued in women of the Renaissance. Carved during a period of intense religious devotion, a time marked by both the splendor of the Renaissance and the strictures of the Church, this sculpture reflects the complex cultural landscape of its time. The sculpture would originally have been commissioned by a wealthy patron for private devotion or for a church. By studying the records of the Florentine art market, we can understand more about who these patrons were, and the social meanings that these images held.