The Annunciation

Gustave Doré · 1866 (designs for La Sainte Bible, Tours); this printing 1873–1874
National Library of Poland, Warsaw

In this plate of the Tours Bible of 1866 Doré drew the design and A. Ligny cut it in wood; both names stand at the foot of the sheet, Doré’s at the left, the engraver’s at the right.

The scene is a plain room under a slanting roof of beams. A wide band of light pours in from the top right, and in it floats a winged figure holding a lily. Mary sits on a low stool by a wooden table, her arms crossed on her chest, turning toward the light with wide eyes.

From the text

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, to a virgin named Mary (Luke 1:26–27)

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)

“Mary was greatly troubled at his words” (Luke 1:29)

The artist’s own

The lily in the angel’s hand — a custom of painters in scenes of the Annunciation, not in the text

A poor room with a rough table, clay jars and a basket on the floor

The angel made of light, almost transparent, with bare feet

Details

The angel

A winged figure floats in the band of light, its robe trailing behind.

The lily

A stem of lily flowers in the angel’s hand.

Mary

She sits on a stool, arms crossed on her chest, and looks up in surprise.

Clay jars

Tall jars and a round pot stand on the floor, with a basket beside them.

Gustave Doré, French, 1832–1883. National Library of Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa), Warsaw — «Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu», vol. 2, Warsaw: M. Glücksberg, 1874 (acc. 75.267 A) · Wood engraving after Gustave Doré’s design · National Library of Poland (Polona): the record of the volume gives the licence «Domena Publiczna» (Public Domain), «copyrightProtected»: false; the scan was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by the library itself («Polona Upload», GLAM-Wiki partnership: “This file was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons as part of a GLAM-Wiki partnership between the National Library of Poland and Wikimedia Polska”), linking its Polona record.

The verses

Luke 1:26–38In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!” “How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Look, even Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.