Francisco De Zurbarán And Henry Oshawa Tanner

This paper will discuss two oil paintings created by Francisco de Zurbarán (Spain, 1650) and Henry Oshawa Tanner (France, 1898) that depict the popular religious scene known as the Annunciation. In the Christian faith, the Annunciation refers to a celebration of when Gabriel appeared before the Virgin Mary to inform her that she would conceive the son of God. Both artists describe the same incident, sharing the same basic subject matter and similar visual arrangement. However, in attempting to produce an illusion of reality, the artists render the subject matter in comparatively unique styles regarding specific imagery, form, color, and light. Francisco de Zurbarán’s touch in Annunciation is smooth and polished, as if the painting were …show more content…
Zurbarán envisions a glorious, celebratory version of the Annunciation, rich in color and symbolic imagery. The eye is drawn around the scene, constantly discovering new details that help reveal to the painting’s identity and significance, such as the open book, vase of lilies, and descending dove. In contrast, Tanner presents a more solemn scene, limiting both his pallet and the material details in the room. The lack of splendor and and iconographical objects, present in Zurbarán’s version, encourages viewers to focus on the main event occurring between the Virgin and Gabriel. Additionally, the aged quality of Tanner’s architechture and floor give Tanner’s scene a more contemporary atmosphere than Zurbarán’s polished wood and clean walls. The painters represent the primary characters drastically different as well. Zurbarán depicts Gabriel as a winged-human, clothed in a clean, decorated robe. Tanner’s Gabriel is strikingly different, represented only by single shaft of light that illuminates the scene. Zurbarán’s Virgin is noble and modest. Though her face is inclined towards Gabriel, her eyes are downcast and her body faces away from the angel. The Virgin’s averted body language suggests she is simultaneously aware of the divine nature of the being before her and her own mortality. Tanner paints the Virgin facing Gabriel fully. She meekly clasps her hands together and gazes upwards towards the divine light, ready to receive the angel’s message. His Virgin is seems younger and more humble than Zurbarán’s version. Her earthy, oversized robe melts into her bed sheets, lacking Zurbarán’s variation in hue and graceful folds. Additionally Tanner excludes all other religious characters, notably the dove (the Holy Spirit) and the cherubs. The juxtaposition of these figures in both scenes produces different