The Annunciation (Thyssen-Bornemisza version)

El Greco's 'Annunciation' of about 1570–1575, painted during his years in Italy before his move to Spain, shows the Archangel Gabriel descending through a rainbow toward the Virgin, while the dove of the Holy Spirit and a celestial chorus of music-making angels crowd the clouds above. It is one of the clearest demonstrations of Titian's and Tintoretto's Venetian impact on the young Cretan painter — colour, movement, and mystical light — just before his departure for Toledo. Held by the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, it is key evidence for the stylistic transition from Italy to Spanish Mannerism.

Exhibition Venue

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Madrid, Spain