Annunciation (attributed to Leonardo workshop)
Annunciation — Lorenzo di Credi (workshop), c.1478-1482
Lorenzo di Credi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Uffizi Annunciation (not to be confused with Leonardo's own Annunciation in the same gallery, entry 26) is a large panel (approximately 98 by 217 cm) attributed primarily to Lorenzo di Credi with possible contributions by Leonardo da Vinci — both artists were working in Verrocchio's workshop in Florence at the same period. The composition shows the Archangel Gabriel kneeling in a garden, the Virgin at a lectern in a loggia; the dove of the Holy Spirit descends from the upper left; a landscape of extraordinary depth (the Arno valley and distant hills) fills the background.
The quality of the garden (the precisely rendered individual flower species, the fence, the perspective recession) and the quality of the Virgin's lectern (an elaborately carved marble lectern similar to the one in Leonardo's own Annunciation, possibly after the same model in Verrocchio's workshop) are both of high quality. The attribution remains disputed among Leonardo scholars.
Lorenzo di Credi (c.1458-1537) was one of Verrocchio's most faithful pupils — he managed the workshop after Verrocchio's death and maintained the tradition of highly finished Florentine painting throughout a long career. His relationship with Leonardo in the Verrocchio workshop is documented; both artists worked on similar commissions in the late 1470s and early 1480s, and the two Uffizi Annunciations (one almost certainly by Leonardo, one by Credi or with Leonardo's assistance) are the primary documents of their shared training.
Compare this Annunciation with Leonardo's own (entry 26) in the same gallery. The marble lectern appears in both paintings — probably the same studio prop.
The quality of the landscape is different: Leonardo's landscape is more atmospherically unified; this landscape is more crisply detailed. The individual flowers in the garden foreground (identifiable as specific species) are rendered with the same botanical precision as Leonardo's Annunciation.
When standing before this work, look carefully: Annunciation — Lorenzo di Credi (workshop), c.1478-1482. Give it time — what seems decorative often carries the central meaning.
When standing before this work, look carefully: Gabriel kneeling in the garden. Give it time — what seems decorative often carries the central meaning.
When standing before this work, look carefully: The marble lectern — possibly the same studio prop as Leonardo's. Give it time — what seems decorative often carries the central meaning.
When standing before this work, look carefully: The Arno valley landscape — botanical detail. Give it time — what seems decorative often carries the central meaning.
Uffizi Gallery, Room 19 (Credi and Perugino), Florence. Advance booking essential.