The Annunciation 1482

Hans Memling painted this panel of the Annunciation in Bruges, a prosperous city in the Burgundian Netherlands, sometime in the second half of the 15th century. The scene, of the angel Gabriel informing Mary that she will miraculously conceive and bear the son of God, is here situated in a contemporary domestic interior. The painting's realism would have resonated with the urban merchant class. Details like the tiled floor, the furniture, and the objects on the shelf are rendered with careful attention to detail, reflecting the material culture of the time. The presence of angels as household servants reflects the importance of the Church and religion in the daily lives of the wealthy. The lily, often included in Annunciation scenes, symbolizes Mary's purity and is a visual signifier of her divine selection. Memling’s Annunciation, like other works of art, is a historical artifact, a product of its own unique social conditions. By exploring such cultural touchstones we can have a greater appreciation of its meaning. We can use sources, such as period inventories of domestic interiors, to better understand it.