Artemisia Gentileschi. The Annunciation
English translation of the exhibition catalogue published by Cimorelli Editore.
Milan, Museo Diocesano Carlo Maria Martini, 27 October 2026 – 31 January 2027
Artemisia Gentileschi’s Annunciation in Milan
From 27 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, the Museo Diocesano Carlo Maria Martini presents The Annunciation by Artemisia Gentileschi as part of A Masterpiece for Milan 2026. Painted in 1630 and on loan from the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, the work is one of the most significant examples of Artemisia’s artistic maturity.
The narrative power of The Annunciation
The painting depicts the Gospel episode with intense emotional immediacy. The Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel emerge from the dark background through a refined interplay of light and shadow that guides the eye and makes the divine irruption into the human realm visible. Gestures, gazes and colours heighten the scene’s dramatic and spiritual tension.
Dated 1630, The Annunciation is the first known work Artemisia Gentileschi produced in Naples. Its composition reflects the diverse influences she absorbed during her stays in Italy. For further information about the painting and its history, see its entry in the General Catalogue of Cultural Heritage.
The exhibition and the catalogue
The exhibition offers visitors the chance to view the painting up close and explore the work of one of the leading figures in seventeenth-century Italian painting. The accompanying catalogue traces the painting’s history, examines the circumstances of its commission and its critical reception, and explores its iconographic significance.