Master Radovan
The Annunciation
Mid-13th century
Relief
West tympanum, Cathedral of St. Lawrence, Trogir, Croatia
The two figures are on opposite sides of the band that surrounds the Nativity scene, which the angels are attending. As happens sometimes when the figures are separated architecturally, there is no dove.
Gabriel's scepter is unusually large and he needs both hands to hold it, so he does not make the gestures one sees in most other Annunciation images.
With her right hand Mary makes the palm-out gesture that in medieval iconography signifies acceptance. In her left hand is a spindle, which according to the Protevangelium she would have been using to spin thread for the curtain of the Temple behind her. Above her the sculptor has incised the common "MP ΘV" label that abbreviates the Greek for "Mother of God." But he wrote it backwards, as if in a mirror.
View the entire tympanum.
View the Gabriel image in full resolution.
View the Virgin Mary image in full resolution.
Read more about images of the Annunciation.
Photographed at the cathedral by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.