Polyptych of the Annunciation

Giovanni del Biondo, a prolific Florentine painter of the second half of the Trecento, created this Polyptych of the Annunciation around 1380 for the Galleria dell'Accademia. The Annunciation was one of the most symbolically charged subjects in Florentine art, as the city's cathedral and civic calendar were organized around the feast of the Annunciation on March 25th. Giovanni del Biondo maintained a busy workshop that produced numerous altarpieces for Florentine churches in a conservative but accomplished late Gothic style.

The multi-paneled polyptych format with pointed Gothic arches separates the Angel Gabriel and the Virgin into distinct compartments flanked by saints. Giovanni del Biondo's technique features bright, saturated colors, crisp linear drawing, and richly tooled gold grounds with elaborate punch-work decoration characteristic of his productive workshop.