Annunciation (detail) 1465

This is a detail from Gentile Bellini's *Annunciation*, its date currently undetermined. Notice how Bellini has constructed this scene with architectural lines dominating the composition, drawing our eyes into a deep space. This linear perspective isn't merely a technique to represent depth, but also a way of organizing the spiritual world, placing the viewer within a rational, divine order. The angel's figure is rendered with a soft, flowing line, contrasting with the rigidity of the architecture. The wings, subtly tinged with colour, disrupt the otherwise muted palette, yet they don't break from the geometric grid of the building. What does it mean for a sacred event to be framed by such precision? Perhaps Bellini suggests that the divine doesn't exist outside of human reason, but is instead interwoven with our understanding of the world. The subtle integration of the angel into this structured environment emphasizes a larger engagement with space, perception, and representation, which continues to challenge the fixed notions of sacred and secular.