Albert Bouts, 1480 - The Annunciation - fine art print

Supplemental information by The Cleveland Museum of Art website (© Copyright - The Cleveland Museum of Art - The Cleveland Museum of Art)

Bouts was the son of the painter Dieric, from a family of painters in Leuven. He specialized in small devotional paintings for a ready market in Antwerp and other Flemish cities. This painting depicts an important event in the life of Mary—the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel that she will conceive and bear a son. The Incarnation of Christ is believed to have taken place at precisely this moment. The prevalence of this scene in medieval Christian art reflects its doctrinal importance and its role as a meditative event. The Virgin is represented here in a luxurious private chapel. The vase with lilies on the floor symbolizes her purity. The orange on the window sill is a symbol of chastity and generosity, and the closed book suggests the Old Testament prophecies have now been fulfilled. Mary is praying from her book of hours, much like an affluent merchant’s wife in medieval Bruges or Antwerp. Books of hours, private devotional books for lay people, were at their peak of popularity, especially among women. Startled by the angel, she seems to turn slightly to greet him. Both the angel and Mary are wrapped in sumptuous draperies, perhaps a reflection of the importance of the Flemish cloth industry. Surprised by the angel Gabriel's sudden appearance and his message that she will bear the son of God, the Mary rises from prayer. The artist sets the scene in a room with decor and furnishings familiar to viewers of his time. Though religious, paintings like this offer a glimpse of life among the urban elite. The small size of the panel suggests that it was used for private devotions (much like the altarpiece behind the Virgin), and also prized as a highly finished collector's item.

This more than 540 year-old work of art was painted by the master Albert Bouts in 1480. The 540 years old painting was made with the size: Framed: 75,2 x 69 x 8,5 cm (29 5/8 x 27 3/16 x 3 3/8 in); Unframed: 50,2 x 41,5 cm (19 3/4 x 16 5/16 in). Oil on wood was used by the European artist as the technique for the painting. This artwork forms part of the The Cleveland Museum of Art's digital collection, which is one of the leading museums worldwide that builds, preserves, studies, and shares its outstanding collections of art from all periods and parts of the world, generating new scholarship and understanding, while serving as a social and intellectual hub for its community. With courtesy of - The Cleveland Museum of Art (public domain license). Creditline of the artwork: Bequest of John L. Severance. On top of that, alignment is in portrait format with a side ratio of 1 : 1.2, which implies that the length is 20% shorter than the width.

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• The poster print (canvas material): The poster is a printed sheet of canvas paper with a slightly roughened finish on the surface. Please bear in mind, that depending on the size of the poster print we add a white margin between 2-6cm round about the artwork, which facilitates the framing with your custom frame.
• Metal (aluminium dibond print): This is a metal print manufactured on aluminium dibond material with an outstanding depth effect. A non-reflective surface structure creates a modern impression. The bright parts of the original artwork shine with a silk gloss, however without glare. Colors are luminous and bright, fine details appear clear and crisp, and you can feel a matte appearance of the art print surface.
• Acrylic glass print (with real glass coating): A glossy acrylic glass print, which is often described as a plexiglass print, will convert your favorite original into amazing décor. The work of art is being made with the help of state-of-the-art UV print machines. The result of this are vivid and stunning colors.
• Canvas print: The canvas direct print is a printed cotton canvas stretched on a wooden frame. A canvas has the plastic look of three-dimensionality. Additionally, a canvas print makes a cosy and comfortable ambience. Canvas prints are relatively low in weight, which means that it is easy to hang the Canvas print without any wall-mounts. Because of thatcanvas prints are suited for any kind of wall.

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Legal note: We try all that we can in order to depict the art products in as much detail as possible and to display them visually in our shop. Although, the colors of the printing material, as well as the imprint might vary to a certain extent from the representation on the screen. Depending on the screen settings and the quality of the surface, not all colors will be printed 100% realistically. Considering that all the fine art prints are printed and processed manually, there may as well be minor deviations in the size and exact position of the motif.

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