When I was in 5th grade, every student in my class had to write and deliver a speech on a foreign country.  I don’t remember if I chose Italy or if it was just assigned to me.  I don’t remember loving Italy when I lived on a farm in SD.  What I do remember about that speech is that I thought it was fun to organize information to give a talk (uh huh, research beckons in my adult life) and that it was so cool that Italy was shaped like a high boot.  That was the kind of information a kid could hang on to.  It became easy to recognize at least one country in that far away continent known as Europe.  I liked knowing that.

But everything changed for me by the time I was a junior in college.  I had not only discovered the field of art history, but I had discovered in particular the art of the International Gothic artist, the Italian painter, Simone Martini.  When Professor Jack Kunin put a slide of this altarpiece on the screen, I gasped.  I had absolutely never seen anything more beautiful in my life.  Little did I know it, but this painting would give a new focus to my life; that focus has stayed with me for the past 40 odd years.

The god’s honest truth is that my love for Italy began with Simone Martini’s altarpiece of The Annunciation. Here’s another overall view of this spectacular object.

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Just what is it about this painting that I love so very much?  I suppose the first thing is the use of the gold leaf.  All my life I have loved rich things that glitter.  This altarpiece most definitely glitters.

Above is a detail of the main section of the painting.  This is the part I love the most.  The altarpiece is known as The Annunciation, for it depicts the very moment when the Angel Gabriel comes to announce to the Virgin Mary that she will give birth to the Son of God.

In this detail of Mary, we can appreciate the fine level of artistry as Martini has captured not only Mary’s swaying body and her expression of dismay, but you can see the incredible detailed brushwork used to depict the fine golden trim on her sleeves and on the edges of her mantle.

Mary has been reading her psalter, and Martini shows us the book in her left hand, with her thumb marking the spot where she left off before she was so rudely interrupted.

A hallmark of the International Gothic genre is the use of long, attenuated bodies.  Notice how slender and elongated Mary’s hand and fingers are.  Gorgeous.  If you read my blog you know I love watching ballerinas dance and I love looking at their beautiful, elongated bodies.  I suppose that is why International Gothic paintings make me gasp in wonder as well.

In the detail above we see Gabriel, who holds an olive branch as a sign that he comes in Peace, has just flown in and stopped quickly in front of Mary.  We know that because the back edges of his drapery are still floating.  I’ll come back to that in a minute.

The vase sitting on the floor between the two figures holds stems of white lilies, which are a symbol of purity, thus perfect as an accoutrement in a painting of Mary.

According to beliefs about Mary and Gabriel, Mary of course was a virgin and remained that way through the conception, carrying, and birth of her Son. The same beliefs assert that the moment of conception was when the words Gabriel spoke reached Mary’s ears.  That is, according to Christian beliefs, the very moment she conceived.  Obviously Martini knew that and is stressing it.  Notice how he made the words Gabriel spoke to Mary stand up in three dimensional form.

Not only is Gabriel carrying an olive branch, but the same leaves have been used to form his crown.

Above is a detail of the Holy Ghost, surrounded by cherubim and seraphim in the heavens.  Many artists portrayed the Holy Ghost as a bird.

Another facet I love about this painting is that Martini depicted Gabriel dressed in a garment lined with Scottish plaid!  I mean, talk about International!  Love that detail.

But, it isn’t just the art I love about Italy.  Check out this landscape.  Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

Or this cityscape of Venice.  Bellisima of what?

And a beautiful door way and a Fiat in Rome.  What is not to love about Italia?!!!!!