Annunciation

This type of Annunciation is a characteristic iconographic type of the Italian Quattrocento. The rich decoration of the sculpture, however, – it is painted, gilt, and decorated with incised ornament – is typical in Spanish art. The work is the fragment of an altar retable. The artist who carved the relief was familiar with the work of Venetian Mannerist sculptors, such as Alessandro Vittoria and Girolamo Campagna. If we compare the work with the bronze relief by Alessandro Vittoria known as the Pala Fugger (Chicago, The Art Institute), the greatest difference is in the treatment of the figures: although the compositions and the heads are similar, the Venetian work is much livelier, while the Spanish work has a quiet, decorative character.