Cestello Annunciation

Cestello Annunciation
Artist Botticelli
Year 1489-1490
Medium Tempera on panel
Location Uffizi in Florence, Italy
Dimensions 59 in × 61 in
150 cm × 156 cm
Famous Paintings by Botticelli
Fortitude
Adoration of the Magi
The Birth of Venus
Primavera
Cestello Annunciation
Saint Augustine
Venus and Mars
The Mystical Nativity
Temptations of Christ
Complete Works

Sandro Botticelli was commissioned to produce the The Cestello Annunciation, in 1489, for the Cestello convent in Florence. The painting is thought to depict the moments after Archangel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, as told in Luke’s gospel, when he informs her of the Holy Ghost’s impending visit.

Type

The The Cestello Annunciation is a tempera painting on a wood panel. Tempera is a fast-drying paint medium that was superseded by oil painting around 1500.

Main Focus

The main focus of the Cestello painting is the depiction of an angel kneeling to a woman. The angel is open-mouthed, as if talking. Accompanying the original painting is a Latin quote, from Luke’s gospel, about the arrival of the Holy Ghost. This quote is thought to have served as inspiration for the painting.

The painting is structured in such a way that it utilizes Brunelleschi’s perspective. Past the kneeling angel and through the window behind him, the eye is drawn to the farthest reaches past trees and buildings, giving a sense of eternity.