Design for a Tabernacle with the Annunciation 1600 - 1700

This pen and wash drawing depicts a design for a tabernacle, and it would have been made somewhere in Europe. The central scene shows the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel informs Mary that she will conceive and bear the son of God. The drawing provides an insight into the function of religious imagery in society. Tabernacles were architectural structures that served as a focal point for prayer and devotion, often incorporating elaborate sculptural programs to communicate religious narratives and inspire piety among the faithful. But this drawing also offers a glimpse into the institutional history of art itself. The design of tabernacles, like many other forms of art, was subject to the patronage and control of religious institutions, which dictated the subject matter, style, and function of the artwork. To fully understand the meaning and significance of this drawing, we would have to conduct more research into the cultural and religious context in which it was made, consult archival documents, and compare it with other contemporary examples of tabernacle design.