1436, Jan van Eyck, The Annunciation -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)
From the museum label: One of the fundamental events of Christianity is the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would bear the son of God. Here, Van Eyck pictured that moment with unprecedented realism and extraordinary attention to detail. Notice the angel's gleaming brocade, which he painted so delicately that the threads look like real gold. Van Eyck also introduced symbolic meaning in many details, such as the white lilies that represent the Virgin's purity.
1436, Jan van Eyck, The Annunciation -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)
From the museum label: One of the fundamental events of Christianity is the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would bear the son of God. Here, Van Eyck pictured that moment with unprecedented realism and extraordinary attention to detail. Notice the angel's gleaming brocade, which he painted so delicately that the threads look like real gold. Van Eyck also introduced symbolic meaning in many details, such as the white lilies that represent the Virgin's purity.