The Annunciation

This Annunciation derives from the left wing of Rogier van der Weyden’s Columba Altarpiece (Munich, Alte Pinakothek, inv. no. WAF 1189-91). The altarpiece was likely sent to the Church of Saint Columba in Cologne shortly after its completion and only several anonymous German and a small number of fifteenth-century Netherlandish copies of the left wing are extant. Notably, Hans Memling painted an Annunciation modeled on van der Weyden’s example (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. no. 1975.1.113).

Dr. Peter Klein conducted dendrochronological analysis of the Baltic oak panel which suggests an earliest possible creation date of 1452 with a more plausible date of 1458 onwards.