Peter Paul Rubens, The Annunciation 

We see the archangel Gabriel coming to tell the Virgin Mary that she will be the mother of Christ: the Annunciation is one of the most depicted passages from the New Testament. In this masterpiece, Rubens once again shows why he is unrivalled when it comes to contrasts: in light and dark, but also in colour and composition  

Heaven has never been so close: a golden-haired archangel descends from a divine beam of light while winged cherubs lavishly cast flower petals. At the bottom, the cat seems indifferent to this momentous occasion.  

By depicting Mary in a typical Flemish living room, Rubens made the religious scene more tangible. The cat, the furnishings and the wicker basket containing sewing were very recognisable to viewers, which allowed them to empathise with the story.   

Rubens learned the technique of bright colours against the dark background, and the strikingly loose painting style, from the artists Titian and Tintoretto in Venice. Why was this technique used? To create extra dynamism to tell the story on canvas.     

Mary's blue cloak immediately catches the eye. Rubens used ultramarine, also known as blue gold, to colour the cloak. This expensive pigment was prepared by finely grinding and purifying the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli by hand.  

It is not known who actually commissioned the work. Rubens started working on the painting in 1610, just after his return from Italy. The large canvas may have been left unfinished in his studio all that time. He resumed work on it fully 18 years after it was first started. Rubens worked for a broad clientele: from the Church and kings to wealthy nobles and citizens. As such, he painted for the Duke of Olivares, the powerful prime minister of the Spanish king Philip IV. The Marquis of Leganés was also a fan: Don Diego Messia acquired the Annunciation in 1628 and housed it in his private chapel.  

This work was the very first Rubens acquired by the Rubenshuis. Brussels-based collector Gaston Dulière gave the Annunciation on loan to the museum in 1954. The work was subsequently purchased in 1979. Just another painting about the divine visit to the future mother of Jesus? Nothing could be further from the truth. In this masterpiece, Rubens once again shows why he is unrivalled when it comes to contrasts: in light and dark, but also in colour and composition