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Why are Gabriel and the Virgin Mary unusually large in Fra Angelico’s Annunciation at Cortona?
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Fra Angelico
Madonna of Humility, tempera on panel by Fra Angelico, c. 1440; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
In Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation at Cortona, the archangel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary are depicted as larger than the surrounding architecture—so large that if Gabriel were to stand, he would be as tall as the columns supporting the portico’s roof.1
Fra Angelico utilized this exaggeration of scale to heighten the drama of the holy visitation for the congregation, who were often seated at a significant distance from the altarpiece. By enlarging these two central figures, the artist ensured their prominence and emotional impact within the composition, effectively drawing the viewer's focus to the significance of the event despite the painting's architectural setting.1