Fra Filippo Lippi's Annunciation (c. 1445): A Perspectival Analysis

Introduction

Annunciation (c. 1445, wood, 175 × 183 cm, San Lorenzo, Florence) remains one of Fra Filippo Lippi's most prominent artworks and one of the most celebrated paintings of the 1440s. This paper argues that, as far as perspectival detail is concerned, the present piece represents Lippi's most accomplished work. An assessment of this painting in light of other works by Lippi suggests that the artist derived his artistic prowess from several sources: alignment with his contemporaries and effective utilization of space. Towards this end, it is useful to conduct not only a perspectival examination of the artwork in the context of Lippi's other paintings, but also to discuss the piece within the broader arc of his career. Like most of his contemporaries, Lippi was skillful in the objective rendering of nature — a quality clearly demonstrated in Annunciation (c. 1445).

Lippi and the Italian Quattrocento Tradition

Belonging to the Italian Quattrocento school, Lippi remains one of the most popular Italian painters of the 15th century. One unique and distinctive approach he employed in his works is the humanization of religious art.¹ His naturalist inclination also means that, in comparison to most of his contemporaries, Lippi exhibited minimal vulgar realism.² As noted above, Lippi was largely inspired by the works of Donatello, and — as is evident in Annunciation (c. 1445) — he borrowed certain ideas from Donatello's sculptural practice. In essence, Lippi's key inspiration also appears to have been the realistic techniques of artists such as Jan van Eyck. On the strength of his various works, Lippi was on a number of occasions commissioned for large-scale altarpiece projects, with some of his Renaissance works being truly outstanding, expressive, and largely autonomous.³

Lippi's fascination with the Annunciation theme specifically may be a consequence of his familiarity with the writings of a Dominican priest who served as Florence's Archbishop during the period when Lippi's artistic prowess was developing.⁴ More specifically, as one scholar notes, "Filippo Lippi dealt with the theme of the Annunciation surprisingly often, almost certainly because his interest in it was awakened by the Dominican father Antonio Pierozzi, Archbishop of Florence from 1446…"⁵

Iconography and Composition of the Annunciation (c. 1445)

The three most frequently depicted events of the Renaissance from a biblical perspective are the Annunciation, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection.⁶ Of all three, however, the Annunciation appears to be the most compositionally captivating. The union of God and man is the key theme of the Annunciation,⁷ and there are specific aspects of this event that must be captured as representative of both the divine and the human — that is, the angel or angels and the Virgin Mary. With that in mind, "an artist ought to be skillful in the utilization of space in this depiction."⁸ This is particularly important given that an overly humanistic rendering could rob the angel of divine presence, while excessive emphasis on the divine could cause the picture to lose its realistic feel. Lippi largely succeeds in balancing the two. In Annunciation (c. 1445), the Virgin Mary and the angels share a common room, yet the structural openings of the room convey a sense of "otherness" that lends divinity to the setting.

Commissioned for the Martelli Chapel of San Lorenzo's Medici church, the Annunciation can today be found in this same location.⁹ In this captivating piece, Lippi presents three winged angels on a mission to meet Mary. A pillar appears to separate angel Gabriel from the two other angels. On the left-hand side of the pillar stand the two accompanying angels in upright postures; on the right-hand side stand angel Gabriel and Mary, with Gabriel in a kneeling position and Mary standing. The posture Gabriel adopts is synonymous with reverence toward the mother of God. The lily he holds in his right hand is indicative of purity. All characters depicted in the painting bear golden halos.

The prominence of angel Gabriel has been reinforced through several compositional devices, apparently to underscore his importance in this setting. In addition to his kneeling position while all other figures remain standing, there is also a tree whose placement appears aligned with Gabriel. Symmetry in the painting is achieved through the careful alignment of trees appearing in rows on both sides of the composition. The background depicts a cityscape, and realism is attained through the incorporation of architecture and the naturalistic posturing of the figures.

At the bottom of the right half of the picture space is a transparent vase. Angel Gabriel holds lilies in his right hand, implying that the vase is a ready vessel for those lilies. This detail speaks to Lippi's attention to narrative coherence within the composition.

Conclusion

On the basis of the Annunciation (c. 1445) and the other works discussed in this paper, it is clear that Lippi was a true artistic genius. His illustrative skills are not in question. This is especially evident in his ability to deploy expressive content while simultaneously incorporating nuances of realism in his artworks. It can be concluded that this artist was gifted with a narrative ability firmly rooted in the realities of his time and grounded in the most fundamental ideals of the Renaissance.

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