Annunciation with Saint Margaret and Saint Ansanus

This beautiful Annunciation was painted around 1333 by Simone Martini and his brother-in-law Lippo Menni for the altar of Sant'Ansano in the Cathedral of Siena. The autograph of the two painters is immortalized in the Latin inscription below "SYMON MARTINI ET LIPPVS MEMMI DE SENIS ME PINXERVNT ANNO DOMINI MCCCXXXIII".

The work is considered an absolute masterpiece and one of the finest examples of Sienese Gothic painting, characterized by wonderful elegance of line and color.
The Archangel has just touched the ground in front of the Virgin as shown by his spread wings and swirling cloak. The scene seems like a theatrical performance, as the comic highlights as a prayer in the middle of the composition with the angel's greeting. The Virgin is portrayed almost surprised and scared by the sudden appearance. Its movement, so primitive and elegant, adds a certain effect of sophistication to the work.
The altarpiece has a golden background, so linked to tradition, and is still in great demand for representations of sacred stories. Therefore, the artists adhered to what the clients required, but often inserted some details that could make the composition more realistic.
For this purpose, Simone Martini included some delightful details in the main scene such as the marble floor, the archangel's mantle, the pot of lilies, Mary's half-closed book and her throne, all of which suggest a royal space, making it opponent penalized by the gold background.

The clothes of the four characters take shape thanks to the elegant and decorative line typical of the Siena school.

The painting is totally Sienese due to the beauty and softness of the lines and colors, just in opposition to the Florentine style, more related to volume and form.