Iconographic tradition of the Annunciation : the portrayal of Archangel Gabriel and the Blessed Virgin Mary

Apreiškimo scena yra viena svarbiausių tiek Švč. Mergelės Marijos kulto reiškinyje, tiek krikščioniškajame mene. Dievo pasiuntinio arkangelo Gabrieliaus, apreiškusio Viešpaties valią Mergelei Marijai, vaizdinys šioje naratyvinėje scenoje neatsiejamas nuo Marijos. Šiame straipsnyje nagrinėjami Viešpaties Apreiškimo Švč. Mergelei Marijai atvaizdai (XVI–XVIII a. Lietuvos bažnytinės dailės objektai). Naudojant ikonografinį-ikonologinį ir ikonoteologinį metodus gilinamasi į šių atvaizdų specifiką, į žemiškosios Mergelės Marijos ir Viešpaties angelo santykį, analizuojama, kaip kinta jų įvaizdis keičiantis Apreiškimo scenos ikonografinei schemai, nagrinėjami teologinės bei pamaldumo tradicijos atspindžiai šiuose atvaizduose. Straipsnis parengtas pranešimo, skaityto konferencijoje „Virgo venerabilis: Marijos paveikslas Lietuvos kultūroje“ (vykusioje 2009 m. Vilniuje, Kultūros, filosofijos ir meno institute), pagrinduThe Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary is like a prime rise for the contemplation of her holiness, as well as the event, which started her sacred mission in the Salvation history. The Annunciation is one of the most important scenes both in Christian art and in the cult the Blessed Virgin Mary. The image of Archangel Gabriel as a messenger of God who manifested the will of the Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary is inseparable from Virgin Mary in this narrative scene. In Western art history the research of the iconography of the Annunciation has started in the beginning of the twentieth century but in the art history of Lithuania the historiography and iconography of the Annunciation have not been fully investigated. The Annunciation scene in this work is more analysed in angelological and iconographic aspect. The main purpose of this paper is to reveal the peculiarities of the portrayal of Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary in the Annunciation iconography, as well as to explore the peculiarities of these images, the relation between the human Virgin Mary and the Angel of the Lord, each time recognizing how their image is changing according to variation of the iconographic scheme. Furthermore, the changes of the expression of theological thought according to the replacing iconographic details of the scheme are analysed. The main object of this analysis are the images of The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the 16th–18th centuries easel and wall paintings found in the present territory of Lithuania. Compared with the works from other countries, certain iconographic features can be distinguished, which are characteristic to prevalent images of the Annunciation in the territory of Lithuania (analysis includes only extant works). No scenes of Annunciation with integrated stories from the Old Testament were found, such as Joseph’s carpentry workshop, Adam and Eve story.[...]Menų fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta