The ''Recanati Annunciation'' (Italian: ''Annunciazione di Recanati'') is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Italian Renaissance painter

Lorenzo Lotto Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480 – 1556/57) was an Italian Renaissance painter, draughtsman, and illustrator, traditionally placed in the Venetian school, though much of his career was spent in other north Italian cities. He painted mainly altarpie ...

, executed around 1534 and housed in the Civic Museum of

Villa Colloredo Mels Villa Colloredo Mels is a suburban palace located on Via Gregorio XII, on the western edge of the urban center of Recanati, province of Macerata, Marche, Italy. It presently houses the civic archeologic and art museum of the town. History The vill ...

Recanati Recanati () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Macerata, in the Italian region of Marche. Recanati was founded around 1150 AD from three pre-existing castles. In 1290 it proclaimed itself an independent republic and, in the 15th c ...

, Italy.

History

The work may date to the artist's sojourn in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, from where it would be shipped to the

Marche Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...

around 1527. Otherwise, it may date to a later period when Looto moved there to execute other works. Today it is generally assigned to a date after the ''

Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...

'' of

Monte San Giusto Monte San Giusto is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about south of Ancona and about southeast of Macerata. Monte San Giusto borders the following municipalities: Corridonia, Monte Sa ...

(1533–1534). The commissioners were perhaps the Brotherhood of the Recanati Traders, who moved to a new seat in 1533 and would therefore use the work for the latter's decoration. The canvas is mentioned for the first time in 1601.

Description

The painting depicts a bedroom where an

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

takes place following an unusual scheme: the angel is on the right, holding a white lily, and has got in from a

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...

which opens to a garden (the ''

hortus conclusus ''Hortus conclusus'' is a Latin term, meaning literally "enclosed garden". Both words in ''hortus conclusus'' refer linguistically to enclosure. It describes a type of garden that was enclosed as a practical concern, a major theme in the history ...

''). His right arm is pointing at the Father God who has shown in a cloud and is blessing Mary from inside the loggia. Mary is portrayed in the left foreground, looking at the spectator and raising her hands in a surprised gesture. Stylistically, Lotto used expressive gestures and somewhat under-size heads. The number of carefully painted details show the influence of Northern European paintings: they include the baldachin bed, the small window with sealed glasses, the shelf with a small still life, the hatstand, the stool with an hourglass, the prie-dieu and a scared cat which is fleeing. The baldachin was inspired by a relief by

Andrea Sansovino Andrea dal Monte Sansovino or Andrea Contucci del Monte San Savino (1529) was an Italian sculptor active during the High Renaissance. His pupils include Jacopo Sansovino (no relation). Biography He was the son of Domenico Contucci of Monte ...

at Loreto. File:Lotto, annunciazione di recanati 03.jpg, Detail of the Virgin File:Lorenzo Lotto 067.jpg, Detail of the shelf and window The Madonna who faces the viewer and the angel who tries to draw her attention are taken instead from

Titian Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. Ti ...

works. According to Italian art historian

Giulio Carlo Argan Giulio Carlo Argan (17 May 1909 – 12 November 1992) was an Italian art historian, critic and politician. Biography Argan was born in Turin and studied in the University of Turin, graduating in 1931. In 1928 he entered the National Fascist Part ...

References

Sources

* {{Lorenzo Lotto 1530s paintings Paintings by Lorenzo Lotto Paintings of the Annunciation Paintings in Marche Recanati

History

Description

See also

References

Sources