Annunciation

Fra Angelico completed this Annunciation in the 1420s for a side altar in the convent of San Domenico in Fiesole, where he lived as a Dominican friar. The central panel shows Gabriel kneeling before Mary under a Renaissance portico, while Adam and Eve are expelled from Eden in the upper left corner. The connection is theological: Mary's acceptance begins humanity's redemption from original sin.

The predella below depicts six scenes from Mary's life, from her birth to the Dormition. Fra Angelico used tempera on wood, applying gold leaf lavishly to halos and decorative details. The entire altarpiece measures 194 by 194 centimeters. The vanishing point draws the viewer's eye past the figures into Mary's bedchamber.

The work remained at San Domenico until 1611, when it was sold to the Spanish king and shipped to Madrid. It now hangs at the Museo del Prado. Fra Angelico painted at least three major Annunciations; this is generally considered the earliest of the group.