The Annunciation

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Arnolfo di Cambio arrives in Florence after mastering his craft in Rome, rising to become chief architect for Florence Cathedral. His distinctive depiction of the Annunciation stands out by elevating the building at its center, with the Holy Spirit's dove soaring out of it. The original placement of this relief remains a mystery. The relief was documented in the mid-18th century as being situated within the cloister of the convent of Santa Maria Maggiore in Florence. At that time, a small figure of Christ standing upright (later removed) stood beneath the canopy at the center. The Annunciation, a marble relief, features the angel with a scepter on the left, a canopied shrine with spiral columns at its center, and the Virgin Mary on the right, her right hand resting on her breast. A dove appears under the canopy of the shrine. Some details are created from plaster: the nose of the Virgin, the fingers of the Angel's right hand, and the heel of his right foot. The artwork can be found in Medieval & Renaissance, Room 10, case WW, shelf EXP at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.