Pala di Fano (Annunciation) 1497

The "Pala di Fano" (Annunciation), painted in 1497 by Pietro Perugino, depicts the moment when the Angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of God. The composition is set in a classic Italian Renaissance architectural space, with columns and arches framing the figures. Mary is shown kneeling in prayer, while the angel kneels before her. God is shown in the upper center, sending the Holy Spirit down upon Mary, representing the moment of conception. Perugino’s work is a hallmark of the High Renaissance style, with its clarity of form and balanced composition, and has been a highly influential example of the Annunciation subject in art history.