Johann von Schraudolph: The Annunciation, 1828

Johann Schraudolph (1808-1879) was a German historical painter of the Nazarene movement. His brother Matthias and his son Claudius were both also painters. He was a pupil and assistant to Heinrich Maria von Hess and painted several devotional paintings, some of which became very popular. On the recommendation of Hess he received an important commission from Ludwig I of Bavaria, namely the painting of the frescoes for the cathedral of Speyer.

The Annunciation is the angel Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit to be called Jesus (Luke 1:26–38). The angel’s pronouncement is met with Mary’s willing consent (“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word”), and thus precipitates the Incarnation of Christ and his redemption of the world.

The Feast of the Annunciation, one of the principal feasts of the Christian church, is celebrated on March 25 (Lady Day), nine months before Christmas. Because its significance is much more than narrative, the Annunciation had a particularly important place in the arts and church decoration of the early Christian and medieval periods and in the devotional art of the Renaissance and Baroque.

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HC-1485: card size 7" x 5" (178mm x 127mm)