The monument I chose at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is Francisco de Zurbarans The Annunciation. (1650) This very naturalistic painting is a representation of the archangel Gabriel announcing to the virgin Mary that she will bare the son of god. Floating above the two main figures in the upper left side of the painting is a group of very young angels resting on a large bed of clouds.
The formation of the painting is very aesthetically pleasing. Unlike some monuments, the figures and their environment are all proportional to each other, again, stressing the naturalistic representation of the painting. The religious impact of the subject matter is very strongly achieved, partly due to this fact. Starting from the top of the painting, one sees the many young angels resting on their heavenly cloud. The background light radiates from off in the distance, and gives the on looking crowd a heavenly aura. Although the light is so powerful, the source is not completely defined, and just seems to exist. The faces of the baby angels all express a sense of happiness, as if they are approving of the newly discovered pregnancy of the Virgin Mary. Again, the light emphasizes their unanimous joy. Something that is not so apparent is the dove of the Holy Spirit found in the midst of the clouds - another heavenly figure present for this occasion. .
The two main figures are found below the heavenly cloud on opposite sides of the canvas. Gabriel kneels in front of Mary with a downward facing head as he holds his chest with both hands. The care Zurbaran put into his painting can be seen in great detail when one observes Gabriel. His wings appear to be feathery, and his skin soft and gentle. His white robe is yet another way that Gabriel's holiness is stressed to the viewer. Similarly, Mary is kneeling between a chair and table draped in green cloth.
The construction of the painting was obviously well planned out by Zurbaran before he began to paint.
