Girl, Interrupted | Simone Martini's Annunciation

Have you ever looked at this painting and asked yourself, "Why is Mary so angry?" My friends, in Simone Martini's Annunciation (1333), an angel has just interrupted her reading. You'd be surprised too. In this episode of Art History Fun with Dr. Bryan, we look at one of my favorite paintings of the 14th century, the masterpiece of the Sienese painter Simone Martini. We'll see how the rivalry between Siena and Florence shows up in the painting itself: why Gabriel holds an olive branch, a symbol of peace, instead of the usual lilies (a symbol of Florence), and where the lilies ended up instead. We'll read Mary's body language and the red and blue she wears, and find the Latin words of the Hail Mary floating between Gabriel and Mary, given a raised, three-dimensional texture that nothing else in the painting has. Then we'll see why Martini, working in the early Renaissance, chose to look back to the flat, golden Italo-Byzantine style, because nobody woke up on January 1, 1300, and declared that the Renaissance had begun. CHAPTERS 0:00 Why is Mary so angry? 0:31 Siena vs. Florence 1:11 How an Annunciation works 1:45 Olive branch or lilies? 2:24 Mary's reaction, and why she wears red and blue 3:14 The words of the Hail Mary 3:58 The saints on either side 4:28 Late Gothic in an early Renaissance world 5:52 Finding it in Room 3 of the Uffizi Have you been to the Uffizi? Which room was your favorite? Tell me in the comments. WATCH NEXT Another Uffizi masterpiece: why does this Madonna have such a long neck? →    • What Is Mannerism? The Madonna of the Long...   New art history videos every weekday. Subscribe so you don't miss the next masterpiece, and let's enjoy some art together. FIND US ON FACEBOOK Art History Fun with Dr. Bryan → [link] I'm Dr. Bryan Zygmont, professor of art history at Mount St. Mary's University. Thanks for sticking around for five good minutes! #Annunciation #SimoneMartini #ArtHistory