Saint Martin
Sculptures
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Virgin of the Annunciation
| Artist | |
|---|---|
| Culture | Italian |
| Date | 1529-1531 |
| Object type | sculpture |
| Medium, technique | terracotta |
| Dimensions | 173 × 60 × 60 cm, 142 kg |
| Inventory number | 2023.1.1 |
| Collection | Sculptures |
| On view | Museum of Fine Arts, First Floor, European Art 1250-1600, Gallery XXIII |
Since the 1920s, art historians have been familiar with this statue of the Virgin, which is part of an Annunciation group, but it was long attributed to the Lucchese sculptor Matteo Civitali or to his nephew Masseo. However, the delightfully beautiful Madonna bears a clear resemblance to similar terracotta sculptures by the brothers Lorenzo and Angelo di Mariano, also known as the Marrini, who were active in Siena at the end of the fifteenth century and in the first decades of the sixteenth century. The characteristic pose of the Virgin’s figure, the inclination of the head, and the hands are most closely connected to the works of Lorenzo, who led the family workshop. He was first identified as the creator of this statue, long held in a private collection, in the 2000s. It is possible that this Virgin Annunciate formed a composition with the Archangel Gabriel exhibited here, and the group may be identical to the Annunciation known from documents, produced by Lorenzo and Angelo di Mariano between 1529 and 1531 for the church of the convent of San Girolamo in Campansi in Siena.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.