“Annunciation,” created by Emile Bernard in 1890, is a religious painting that falls under the art movement known as Synthetism. Within this work, Bernard uses distinct colors and shapes to convey a momentous biblical event—the announcement to the Virgin Mary by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus Christ.
The artwork features an angel, likely Gabriel, kneeling with lily flowers in its hand, symbolizing purity. The angel is depicted with vibrant, glowing wings, and is rendered using bold, almost abstract forms typical of the Synthetism movement. The Virgin Mary is portrayed standing, draped in flowing garments, holding a spinning wheel, which may symbolize her humility and domestic life. The backdrop is characterized by radiant, golden-hued clouds and a field of deep greens and blues. The use of complementary colors and simplified, vibrant forms epitomizes the Synthetism style, emphasizing spiritual and symbolic content over naturalistic representation. The composition of the artwork captures a divine and mystical atmosphere, inviting the viewer to reflect on the profound religious significance of the scene.
