The Angelic Salutation in Early Byzantine and Medieval Annunciation Imagery

Abstract

Best known as the opening phrase of a familiar Latin prayer, the angelic salutation (Luke 1:28) frequently appears in medieval images of the Annunciation. However, the history of these images begins in the Greek-speaking world, as does the tradition of using the same words as a prayer for Mary's protection and mediation. Arguing that the inscribed images were intended to serve as catalysts to prayer, this article examines their appearance on some early Byzantine pilgrimage objects, in the oratory of Pope John VII, in a pair of late medieval Books of Hours, and in Simone Martini's St. Ansano Altarpiece.