John Scott: THE ANNUNCIATION

THE STORY:



This painting depicts the angel Gabriel's message to Mary. He said, "'Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.' And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou has found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS" (Luke 1:28-31).

The Annunciation is an important part of many Christian religions, but it doesn't play a large part in Mormon liturgy or doctrine. Rather, we sometimes lump it in as part of the nativity.

ANALYSIS:

When I first had to write about this piece, I didn't know the name of the artist or the painting's title. And so I searched, and searched, and searched for a painting of the Resurrection until I finally realized that it was an Annunication.

And I think that parallel--the fact that I mistook an Annunciation for a Resurrection--is important here. Look at all the similarities: the angel Gabriel's white robe and angelic glow echo Christ's resurrected appearance; the lone woman encountering an angel; the olive tree growing behind Mary, symbolizing the atonement in Gethsemane; Mary's vessel, representing her purity and her identity as a pure vessel about to be filled with the Christ child, also reminds us of the washing materials Mary Magdalen brought to Christ's tomb; the springtime flowers blossoming remind us of the new life and Easter; even the stone wall behind them with its open window echoes the empty tomb with the stone that had been rolled away.

All of these parallels reinforce the message of this painting: that the culmination of Gabriel's visit to the virgin Mary is Christ's resurrection and atonement.

Annunciations usually share many of these symbols. Mary is usually painted in an enclosed space, often a garden, representing her virginity and her separateness from the world. She often has a vessel, since she was a vessel for the Christ child, and cloths, dusters, and other cleaning supplies to represent her purity. Mary is often surprised praying, reading the scriptures, or working. Have a look at some of my favorite Annunciations and see if you can spot these and other similarities:





















See the similarities and differences? Although John Walter Scott wasn't Mormon, the church commissioned him, and his version feels very Mormon to me. The emphasis on the resurrection, the angel without wings, the simplicity and lack of trappings around Mary.

PERSONAL IMPACT:

I really, really love Annunciations. I especially like the trend throughout history of painting Mary as if she lived in the artist's time period, whether that's in Renaissance Florence or as a wealthy Flemish girl. I see great value in "likening the scriptures unto us," as Nephi says, and imagining these people from the scriptures as if they lived like us.

My own personal taste tends toward the busy and detailed rather than lovely simplicity, so some of the other Annunciations speak more to me than this one. But I love that I can look at this painting and ponder the connection between this young girl's vision and the miracle that saves all of mankind.