Josef Dettlinger, Marienaltar: Detail, The Annunciation
Freiburg, 1895
Pfarrkirche St. Blasius, Glottertal, Germany
The artist does not insert the usual architectural separation between the two figues, but otherwise he follows the traditional iconography of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Mary kneels at a prie-dieu when the angel arrives. One hand gestures acceptance of the angel's message (Luke 1:38); the other holds her book. Her mantle is blue at least on the inside. The angel holds the customary scepter in his left hand; the fingers of his right hand are formed into a blessing gesture ("Blessed art thou," Luke 1:28).
Also typical of late medieval Annunciations is the figure of the Father in the upper left, but most atypical is the little gray baby that the Father is sending to Mary. One sees the baby in a few medieval images, but it all but disappeared after Molanus had condemned it as inconsistent with orthodox Christology.
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Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.