San Gimignano’s Annunciation, divided into two tondi commissioned by the Lords of that community to decorate their Council Hall, was painted in the years 1483–1484 by an artist that remained unmentioned in the Records of the Deliberations and Resolutions of the time, which document the various phases of the contract, from the initial agreement in 1482 to the payment of the frames in 1490.
The author is now unanimously recognised as Filippino Lippi, an original artist with a bright personality in the Florentine art scene of the second half of the 15th century. Here he painted a unique version of a subject that has been depicted often, characterised by a detailed study of the perspective structure of the spaces and light effects, a particular care for the draperies and an unusual interest in landscape and still life, which is due to the in uence of Flemish painting.

Milan, Palazzo Marino, November 2019 - January 2020

Contents

“Pro Honore Comunitatis.” Filippino’s Annunciation for San Gimignano
Alessandro Cecchi

The Annunciation in Italy
Giovanni Morale

“Filippo di Fra Filippo Lippi Painter.” Life and Work
Alessandro Cecchi

The Work

The Documents
Alessandro Cecchi

The Magic of Reverse Perpective and the Role of the Observer
Franco Achilli and Luigi Ciuffreda

Bibliography