The Annunciation
Artist
Bernat Martorell
Active in Barcelona, 1427-1452
Title
The Annunciation
Date
About 1450
Materials
Oil and tempera on wood
Dimensions
67.3 x 58.8 cm
Credits
Purchase, gift of Murray G. Ballantyne and Horsley and Annie Townsend Bequest, inv. 1972.2
Collection
Western Art
These two works have recently been associated with panels in collections in New York, Seville and Barcelona as having once formed part of a proposed, reconstructed retablo (large, multi-panel altarpiece) by Martorell and his studio, datable to about 1450. The characteristic geometric architecture and furnishings and the facial types correspond to other works by the artist, including our Annunciation of 1427. These panels, however, correspond to the artist’s late style, influenced by Early Netherlandish painting of the 1430s. The less sophisticated treatment of drapery and figures point to execution primarily by Martorell’s workshop or a close follower who knew the artist’s mature style.
