Annunciation; verso: Unidentified Study c. 16th century

Curator: This drawing is Andrea Boscoli's "Annunciation," done sometime around the late 16th century. There's such a sense of movement, right? The angel seems to burst into the scene. Editor: It's true, that bold hatching gives it real energy. But I keep coming back to Mary's averted gaze. It speaks to a complicated negotiation of power, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely. And you see it too in the way Boscoli uses the red chalk. The color feels so… earthly, yet the subject is anything but. Editor: Red chalk also makes me think of blood, sacrifice… the very human consequences of divine will. I'm struck by how Boscoli hints at these tensions. Curator: It is a powerful piece, but I see it more like a dream, a moment of divine intervention. Editor: Indeed, but I am always looking to unpack the social meaning of these interactions, especially the power dynamics at play. Curator: I guess that's where our different perspectives bring this drawing to life.