Cleveland Museum of Art

The Annunciation (folio 15 recto), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier

Date: 1602–4
Medium: Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Culture: Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569–1627)
Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

Mary gazes down at the angel Gabriel as he kneels reverently, like a humble messenger, delivering the news that Mary will give birth to the son of God. His multicolored wings are forced within the boundary line of the painting field, visually implying a sense of subordination. Unlike many of the paintings in the Mirror of Holiness , the Annunciation is a familiar subject in European art, but the emphases vary. The Indian version depicts her as a queen, with a crown held above her head and attendants standing by. The text states that Mary was only age 13 1/2 when the angel Gabriel came to her.

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