Why it matters
Gabriel greets Mary with the words 'Hail, full of grace'; her reply is written upside down because it is addressed to God. It was probably the left wing of a triptych whose other wings have not been seen since before 1817.
Did you know?
- It dates from about 1434–1436.
- It was transferred from panel to canvas.
- Stalin's government sold it from the Hermitage in 1930.
Based on the Wikipedia article Annunciation (van Eyck, Washington) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
