Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Image

Notice the balloon-shaped images in the lower and right margins of this richly decorated page from a 15th century French Book of Hours: in the lower one, God the Father is sending Gabriel on his mission, while in the right margin, Mary sits peacefully reading. In the large picture, the book remains open as Mary turns toward the Angel to receive his message.
From The Morgan Library and Museum.

Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Image

 In Christian iconography, unicorns are given different meanings. The

allegorical hunt of the unicorn in the Hortus conclusus [enclosed or walled Garden] symbolizes the incarnation of Christ. 

The setting is the closed garden. Mary is holding the unicorn, a symbol of Christ, in her lap. The archangel Gabriel [blowing a golden horn] appears as both herald of the birth of Jesus and hunter of the unicorn. He is accompanied by four hounds that embody the virtues of truth, peace, mercy, and justice.

Text from Das Stadtschloss Weimar( The Palace at Weimar), page 16, with additions in brackets by The Angelus Project.

Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Image

Today's Annunciation is in the frame along the bottom of a missal page; at the very top of the same page, in the center (corresponding to the IHS symbol below) is the dove representing the Holy Spirit.

Praying the Angelus with Art: This Week's Image

This week's image of the Annunciation was completed ca. 1490 by Pietro de Perugino (Peter from Perugia). It can be found in the Church of Santa Maria Nuova in Fano (Central Italy). As for Perugino (whose family name was Vannucci), not only was he teacher to the artistic genius Raphael, he also contributed to the Sistine Chapel!