(Pratovecchio 1592–1664 Florence)
The Angel of the Annunciation,
oil on canvas, 66 x 50 cm, framed

We are grateful to Sandro Bellesi for confirming the attribution of the present painting on the basis of a high resolution digital photograph.

Jacopo Vignali was one of the foremost exponents of 16th century Florentine painting. It represents the Angel of the Annunciation. The early history of the painting is unknown, but it is likely that it originated with a canvas of the same format representing the Virgin Annunciate.

The angel in the present work has the features of a curly haired youth, he wears a white robe with ornamented borders, enriched by an elegant broach at the shoulder. Even in the case of an image such as this, the painter does not hesitate to indulge on decorative details with all the refinement typical of his style.

Jacopo Vignali originated from the Casentino near Arezzo, he likely moved to Florence during the early years of the 17th century, where he entered the studio of Matteo Rosselli. In 1614 he undertook the decoration of one of the minor ceiling compartments of the Gallery in Casa Buonarotti. In the early 1620s he distinguished himself for his original interpretation of Guercino’s impressionist style, which is also demonstrated in the present painting. During the latter half of this decade Vignali’s art was characterised by an increased sentimentality in his devotional images, and by a softer application of the paint derived from contemporary painters, most notably Il Passignano. Carlo Dolci frequented his workshop during this period.

Vignali became one of the most favoured artists of the Florentine elite and he received numerous commissions, including for ecclesiastical buildings. Among his most important commissions were the decoration of the Cappella Accolti Buontalenti in Santissima Annunziata and the three canvases for the Cappella Mazzei in the church of Santi Michele e Gaetano, Florence.