The Annunciation (folio 15 recto), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier (1602–4): Art, History and Details

The Annunciation (folio 15 recto), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier (1602–4) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Mary gazes down at the angel Gabriel as he kneels reverently, like a humble messenger, delivering the news that Mary will give birth to the son of God. His multicolored wings are forced within the boundary line of the painting field, visually implying a sense of subordination. Unlike many of the paintings in the Mirror of Holiness, the Annunciation is a familiar subject in European art, but the emphases vary. The Indian version depicts her as a queen, with a crown held above her head and attendants standing by.

Object facts

• Title: The Annunciation (folio 15 recto), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier
• Date: 1602–4
• Culture: Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569–1627)
• Type: Manuscript
• Technique: Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
• Dimensions: Page: 26.2 x 15.4 cm (10 5/16 x 6 1/16 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 2005.145.15.a

A detail from the museum

The text states that Mary was only age 13 1/2 when the angel Gabriel came to her.

Collection credit

John L. Severance Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.