The Virgin Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus Christ begins with an announcement. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci have often depicted this moment, known as the Annunciation, in which the archangel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary of her destiny and Jesus is incarnated.

In this video, we learn about the story of the annunciation and how artists like Leonardo helped Christian viewers understand the miracle of this moment through symbolism and other visual effects. The video also examines paintings by Jan van Eyck, Simone Martini, and Sandro Botticelli.

CHAPTERS

0:00 A lovely lady in a garden

0:25 Meet the Angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary

0:39 What is the Annunciation?

0:54 The Biblical source

1:12 A miracle unfolds: God assumes human form

1:36 Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation

1:44 Art helps us understand the story

1:58 Leonardo’s visual strategies

3:08 The Annunciation in art

3:27 Symbolism in the Annunciation