Annunciation
- Date
- c.1515
- Material
- Oil on panel
- Classification
- Paintings
- Collection
- European Art to 1800
- Current Location
- On View, Gallery 222
- Dimensions
- image only: 12 x 10 5/8 in. (30.5 x 27 cm)
framed: 18 3/8 x 17 7/8 x 4 1/8 in. (46.7 x 45.4 x 10.5 cm) - Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 204:1942
NOTES
An angel kneels at left, having just entered Mary’s bedchamber to tell her that she will bear Jesus, the son of God. The angel’s white robe is reminiscent of the contemporary garments worn by the acolytes who assisted priests in celebrating Roman Catholic Mass. The meticulously detailed jeweled cape refers to the glories of heaven and also reminds worshippers of the ritual commemoration of Jesus’ death that takes place at every church altar. Mary, who according to Gospel accounts was reading the book of Isaiah, reacts to the arrival of her holy visitor. Her gesture and the fluttering pages of her open Bible suggest her surprise.
Provenance
Kunstsalon Paul Cassirer, Berlin, Germany [1]
Marchese F. Ollandi(ni), Sarzana or Genoa, Italy [2]
by 1932 -
Ernst Rosenfeld (1878-1937) and Florette Rosenfeld, New York, NY, USA [3]
- 1942
Cosmos Art, Inc. (Frederic A. Stern), New York, NY, USA
1942 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Cosmos Art, Inc. [4]
Notes:
[1] “P. Cassirer” according to a handwritten note by Max J. Friedlander on a photograph archived by the Netherlands Institute for Art History (Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie) [“Explore Gerard David: De annunciatie,” RKD, accessed 30 January 2014,]. Friedlander was a noted scholar of Gerard David and a prolific photographer of Dutch art. The RKD, among other activities, has archived Friedlander’s art historical notes and photos.
[2] According to the invoice from Cosmos Art, Inc. dated December 15, 1942, the painting was previously owned by "Marchese F. Ollandini, Sarzana" [SLAM document files]. The RKD transcribes a note by Friedlander, “Olandini, Genua.” Van Miegroet [“Gerard David.” Antwerp: Mercatorfonds, 1989] gives “marchese F. Olandi Sarzana.”
[3] An article in Burlington Magazine specifically refers to the painting and its acquisition by Mr. and Mrs. Ernst Rosenfeld. [Siple, Ella S. “Acquisitions in America.” In Burlington Magazine 60:347 (Feb. 1932), 115]. According to the Friedlander archive, “E. Rosenfeld, NY.”
[4] See note [2]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum of St. Louis, December 9, 1942.
Marchese F. Ollandi(ni), Sarzana or Genoa, Italy [2]
by 1932 -
Ernst Rosenfeld (1878-1937) and Florette Rosenfeld, New York, NY, USA [3]
- 1942
Cosmos Art, Inc. (Frederic A. Stern), New York, NY, USA
1942 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Cosmos Art, Inc. [4]
Notes:
[1] “P. Cassirer” according to a handwritten note by Max J. Friedlander on a photograph archived by the Netherlands Institute for Art History (Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie) [“Explore Gerard David: De annunciatie,” RKD, accessed 30 January 2014,
[2] According to the invoice from Cosmos Art, Inc. dated December 15, 1942, the painting was previously owned by "Marchese F. Ollandini, Sarzana" [SLAM document files]. The RKD transcribes a note by Friedlander, “Olandini, Genua.” Van Miegroet [“Gerard David.” Antwerp: Mercatorfonds, 1989] gives “marchese F. Olandi Sarzana.”
[3] An article in Burlington Magazine specifically refers to the painting and its acquisition by Mr. and Mrs. Ernst Rosenfeld. [Siple, Ella S. “Acquisitions in America.” In Burlington Magazine 60:347 (Feb. 1932), 115]. According to the Friedlander archive, “E. Rosenfeld, NY.”
[4] See note [2]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum of St. Louis, December 9, 1942.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.