The Annunciation Paolo Domenico Finoglia

Finoglia, a Neapolitan follower of Caravaggio, uses light here to generate illusion and simultaneously to convey transcendent meaning. The brightness emanating from a gap in the sky above the cherubim shines down on the scene, bestowing an almost physical presence on the protagonists, as though we could reach out our arms and touch them. The very same brightness, in biblical terms, is there to conquer darkness, to create form out of chaos, to illuminate the path that leads the sinner to salvation. The Virgin Mary withdraws into the penumbra, while the heavenly messenger, bathed in light and resplendent in his attire, assumes the dominant role. Through this painterly contrast, the angel embodies divine will, while Mary personifies humble obedience and submission.