A brief look at Paolo de Matteis' The Annunciation

    Paolo de Matteis, Italian, The Annunciation, 1712, oil on canvas. 

81 1/8 x 70 1/8 inches

In Luke's Gospel, the archangel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will become the mother of the son of God. The Annunciation has been one of the most frequent themes of Christian art. Paolo de Matteis, a Neapolitan, painted his interpretation in 1712. At almost seven feet tall, it is considerably larger than most earlier Annunciation paintings and altar pieces. Mary is approximately life size and the viewer senses being in the room with Gabriel and Mary. The foreground floor, empty in front of Mary, invites the viewer to step up into the room. Early Netherlandish versions like Robert Campin’s Annunciation Tryptych had the room filled with symbolic objects that served as a guide to assist the viewer contemplate the holy event but also kept the viewer on the outside. Symbolic references in de Matteis’ Annunciation include the clouds below Gabriel and the Cherubs to signify that he is a heavenly being. The white lilies that signify the purity of the Virgin are also the flowers that are blooming during the spring equinox of the Annunciation which is 9 months before Christmas. The Holy Spirit is represented as a dove inside an aura. A ray of light from the dove's beak points to Mary to indicate the Immaculate Conception that will occur. Earlier Annunciation art often had a fully formed naked baby Jesus riding a cross that was on light rays aimed at Mary's abdomen. Such symbolism meant that Jesus was not formed in utero and denied the concept that Jesus had a fully human nature as well as a divine nature. Joannes Molanus, a Counter Reformation theologian, turned the Council of Trent's vague decree of 1563 on Sacred Images, into a detailed set of instructions for artists. No longer would images that didn't promote dualistic human and divine aspects of Jesus be tolerated. Molanus was instrumental in stopping the production of images of a naked Jesus with exposed genitals, or Mary in childbirth with midwives offering potions for pain relief. The Holy Virgin wouldn't need pain relief for a holy event nor be surrounded by blood after she gave birth.  


Matteis' Annunciation is an early example of Italian Rococo. The style originated in France and is characterized by soft colors and curvy lines. The stark realism of the Baroque has given way to a lighter more fanciful image. The  folds of Mary's blue dress with their shadows and light are more typical of the earlier Baroque style. Matteis was one the first artists who combined the drama and complexity of the Baroque with a more tender and graceful art.
Like most Annunciation works, Gabriel is on the left and Mary is on the right. In the western world, reading is from left to right and the viewer's attention goes from Gabriel to Mary. Gabriel is usually portrayed in profile while more of Mary's face is visible. Mary's reaction to the news that she will become the mother of God and the holiest woman on earth, has varied over the centuries. She has been shown as saddened, delighted, pleased or even shocked and repulsed about learning how her life will change. Matteis' interpretation also adds a strong vertical arrangement. The dove is at the top and the cherubs are stacked from top to bottom. Heaven has descended down to Mary's chamber.

Matteis was influenced by Carlo Maratta, who worked mostly in Rome and was adding lighter colors to his Baroque style. In 1702 Matteis went to work at the French court of Louis XIV for three years. There he met bankers and influential nobles and started his meteoric rise in obtaining commissions. His exposure to a lighter more elegant French style confirmed his ideas about the direction art was going.

Paolo de Matteis, The Adoration of the Shepherds. 1712

Paolo de Matteis also made in the same year, The Adoration of the Shepherds. It was for the same Neapolitan patroness of the arts, the Duchess of Laurenzano.  Adoration of the Shepherds is about the same size as his Annunciation. Both are scenes in cycles of the Life of the Virgin. However, Adoration of the Shepherds, is definitely all Baroque, while his Annunciation is mostly Rococo.