The Martelli Annunciation by Filippo Lippi: what it depicts
The Martelli Annunciation by Filippo Lippi
A deep perspective
The scene opens onto a long courtyard and garden, drawn in the new perspective Florentine painters were exploring in the 1440s. Gabriel kneels before Mary, who bows her head in acceptance. Unusually, two more angels stand behind Gabriel, watching and whispering to each other — companions who turn the heavenly visit into an event with witnesses.
The glass vase
In the foreground, set on the step, stands a glass vase of water, painted so transparently that the light passes through it. It is a symbol of Mary’s purity — light passing through glass without breaking it — but Lippi paints it with such care that it becomes one of the most beautiful objects in Florentine art.
San Lorenzo
The altarpiece was commissioned by the Martelli family for their chapel in San Lorenzo, the Medici church in Florence, and it is still there.
Where it hangs
The altarpiece is in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence and measures 175 by 183 centimetres.
About this print
Made from a 3,578-pixel photograph of the original, enough to print sharply at up to about 23 inches on its longest side.
Sources: Basilica di San Lorenzo, Florence · Wikidata Q3618193 · Wikimedia Commons
Who Made It
Created by Filippo Lippi. Painted in 1440. Tempera.
All Available Options
Below is a list of all available sizes and product types.
| Type | Size | Color | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canvas | 6" x 6" | - | $33.26 | In Stock |
| Canvas | 10″ x 10″ | - | $41.66 | In Stock |
| Canvas | 12″ x 12″ | - | $41.47 | In Stock |
| Canvas | 14" x 14" | - | $44.47 | In Stock |
| Canvas | 16" x 16" | - | $50.01 | In Stock |
| Canvas | 20″ x 20″ | - | $92.18 | In Stock |
| Framed | 6" x 6" | Black | $51.02 | In Stock |
| Framed | 6" x 6" | Espresso | $51.02 | In Stock |
| Framed | 6" x 6" | White | $51.02 | In Stock |
| Framed | 8" x 8" | Black | $52.87 | In Stock |
| Framed | 8" x 8" | Espresso | $52.87 | In Stock |
| Framed | 8" x 8" | White | $52.87 | In Stock |
| Framed | 10″ x 10″ | Black | $64.92 | In Stock |
| Framed | 10″ x 10″ | Espresso | $64.92 | In Stock |
| Framed | 10″ x 10″ | White | $64.92 | In Stock |
| Framed | 12″ x 12″ | Black | $79.40 | In Stock |
| Framed | 12″ x 12″ | Espresso | $79.40 | In Stock |
| Framed | 12″ x 12″ | White | $79.40 | In Stock |
| Framed | 14" x 14" | Black | $88.06 | In Stock |
| Framed | 14" x 14" | Espresso | $88.06 | In Stock |
| Framed | 14" x 14" | White | $88.06 | In Stock |
| Framed | 16″ x 16″ | Black | $101.29 | In Stock |
| Framed | 16″ x 16″ | Espresso | $101.29 | In Stock |
| Framed | 16″ x 16″ | White | $101.29 | In Stock |
| Framed | 20″ x 20″ | Black | $129.61 | In Stock |
| Framed | 20″ x 20″ | Espresso | $129.61 | In Stock |
| Framed | 20″ x 20″ | White | $129.61 | In Stock |
Image: source, Public domain (work and photograph).
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