Madonna from the Annunciation, 1340-1344 Simone Martini, c.1284-1344 Tempera on panel; 30.5 x 21.5 cm In Martini's painting the Madonna is depicted in the traditional pose of the confused Virgin listening to the words of the Archangel Gabriel, who has come to announce the birth of Christ. Martini's Madonna is elegant and lyrical and the linear rhythm, the exquisite beauty of the colouring and the meticulous rendering of the miniature ornamental motifs are typical of the artist. This work was created in Avignon, where the artist worked at the papal court. It is the left panel of a diptych, the right panel of which is now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.