The Annunciation

The Annunciation by Emvin Cremona

The Annunciation has been one of the most frequent subjects of Christian art. Depictions of the Annunciation go back to early Christianity, with the Priscilla catacomb including the oldest known fresco of the Annunciation, dating to the 4th century. It has been a favorite artistic subject in both the Christian East and as Roman Catholic Marian art, particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and figures in the repertoire of almost all of the great masters. The figures of the Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel, being emblematic of purity and grace, were favorite subjects of Roman Catholic Marian art, where the scene is also used to represent the perpetual virginity of Mary via the announcement by the angel Gabriel that Mary would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. A few churches in Malta are also dedicated to the Annunciation of Mary, and I share with you one of the most beautiful paintings by my favorite Maltese artist, Emvin Cremona. This is the main altarpiece in the church of the Annunciation, also known as the church of St. Dominic in Vittoriosa.