Archangel Holding a Lily in a Landscape with Clouds Bearing Putti (Fragment of a Scene of the Annunciation) 1700 - 1800

Curator: This ink drawing, attributed to an anonymous artist from the 18th century, is titled "Archangel Holding a Lily in a Landscape with Clouds Bearing Putti," and resides here at The Met. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the dynamism of the composition. The figure of the archangel is in mid-stride, with a swirling drapery that emphasizes movement. It’s all curves and diagonal lines; there is very little that seems stable or at rest in the image. Curator: Precisely. The diagonal arrangement lends an urgency and directional focus—it encourages the eye to follow the angel's descent from the celestial realm populated by the putti, to the earthly landscape below. What can we decipher about this narrative, drawing upon its imagery? Editor: Well, the lily, of course, is a near-universal symbol of purity, innocence, and resurrection, powerfully associating this fragment with an Annunciation scene. It would signal a coming spiritual transformation. It is a telling object because the angel’s form is active but their hand softly presents this sacred bloom. Curator: Observe the artist's technique. Note the varied densities of hatching and cross-hatching, strategically employed to model form and to render spatial recession. It’s all line, devoid of color, and yet we perceive volume and light. The artist’s mastery is evident in creating such rich depth of form without overt color changes. Editor: And the landscape below is interesting. Its somewhat amorphous quality sets it apart, giving precedence to the upper divine regions, the heavenly narrative dominating. The lower forms on land echo some of the shapes and curves above to help anchor the divine into everyday reality. It seems the visual focus isn’t about spatial rendering in a traditional, naturalistic way. It functions as a backdrop. Curator: It invites us to reflect on the theological implications inherent in the Annunciation, doesn’t it? The coming of the divine into human space. Editor: Absolutely. I appreciate how it blends the immediate sense of energy with these larger considerations, bringing us face-to-face with this timeless motif and the delicate line work involved in realizing it.