“This Annunciation offers a unique blend of religious tradition and modern artistic sensibilities, setting a pivotal biblical moment in an unexpected, sun-drenched Dutch landscape.”
In this striking depiction of the Annunciation, a young woman with downcast eyes stands amidst a vibrant field of white lilies, her humble posture suggesting she has just received a profound message. The artist, Georges Rochegrosse, presents a distinctly unusual setting for this biblical scene, placing the Virgin Mary as a Dutch peasant girl in a sun-renched landscape. This choice of a religious subject, combined with the painting's unique composition and the artist's keen interest in capturing the play of sunlight and shadow, reflects the influence of several contemporary art movements, including Symbolism and the Pre-Raphaelites. The lilies, traditionally a symbol of the angel Gabriel, dominate the foreground, drawing the viewer's eye into the scene and emphasizing the sacred nature of the moment within this unexpected, naturalistic setting.
- Artist
- Georges Rochegrosse
- Date
- 1887
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- 158.8 × 204.5 cm (62 1/2 × 80 1/2 in.)
- Collection
- Arts of the Americas
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Potter Palmer Collection
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The vast field of white lilies surrounding the young woman.
The peasant attire of the Virgin Mary, a departure from traditional iconography.
The subtle glow of sunlight on the woman’s face and the lilies.
The woman's downcast eyes and modest stance.
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Georges Rochegrosse
1859–1938 · FranceGeorges Rochegrosse was a French painter known for colossal historical scenes, often depicting brutal subjects, and his opulent Symbolist work like 'The Knight of Flowers.'
Further Works by Rochegrosse
A Marine
1874 · Art Institute of Chicago
Final Study for "Bathers at Asnières"
1883 · Art Institute of Chicago
Flower Girl in Holland
1887 · Art Institute of Chicago
Early Morning, Tarpon Springs
1892 · Art Institute of Chicago
The Home of the Heron
1893 · Art Institute of Chicago
After a Summer Shower
1894 · Art Institute of Chicago
Love of Winter
1914 · Art Institute of Chicago
Oil Sketch for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884"
1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
More works to explore
Beyond Rochegrosse: works from the same years.
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Woman Walking in a Garden
Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Léon Clapisson
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1883 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Paris Street; Rainy Day
Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Still Life with Crayfish
Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Albert (René) Grenier (1858–1925)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1887 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Martinican Meadow
Paul Gauguin · 1887 · Arche Noah – Sammlung Kunst & Natur
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Cows Drinking at a Pool
William Hart · 1886 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress
Paul Cézanne · 1888 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Rocks at Port-Goulphar, Belle-Île
Claude Monet · 1886 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Forêt de Compiègne
Berthe Morisot · 1885 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Studies of Pierre Renoir; His Mother, Aline Charigot; Nudes; and Landscape
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1885 · Art Institute of Chicago