The Annunciation c. 17th century

Curator: This image, "The Annunciation" by Pietro Santi Bartoli, feels so immediate, doesn't it? It's like we've stumbled right into Mary's chamber. The angel, practically bursting with news, and Mary, caught so off guard. Editor: It does have a kind of voyeuristic feel. What strikes me most is how domestic it is. How would you interpret the space and the scene's intimate mood? Curator: I think that very tension, that blend of the divine and the everyday, is the point. Bartoli’s showing us that the sacred can break into our ordinary lives at any moment. I’m interested in the almost claustrophobic space; makes it a little anxious, don’t you think? Editor: It does, yes, but I think that contrast also makes the miracle more real. I never thought of it that way before. Curator: Art has this funny habit of revealing bits of ourselves, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. It's like a mirror that shows us something new about the world and ourselves.