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EXCLUSIVE WEBINAR | ““How Can This Be Done?” The Miracle of the Annunciation versus the Facts of Life in Renaissance Painting”

Presented by Dr. Laurinda Dixon
with Additional Commentary by Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The Annunciation, observed on March 25, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the archangel Gabriel to Mary, the mother of Jesus, that she would conceive and bear a son.  The Bible records the event as follows: “And the angel came in and said to her:  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee:  blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”  Confused and afraid, Mary asked, in all innocence “How shall this be done, because I know not man?”

Indeed, how was it done?  How did God enter Mary’s body?  She was, after all, a virgin, so the usual entryway was closed. These questions challenged Church authorities for centuries, for the facts of life were inarguable. Renaissance painters wrestled with the conundrum, as they visualized the Annunciation in creative ways.  Ultimately, artists evolved specific iconographical elements and a new sacred anatomical system, designed to accept the holy spirit and transform it into human flesh.

The webinar will include a 45-minute lecture followed by 15-minutes of Q&A.

Please note:

• Your participation is confirmed once you have purchased your ticket. You will receive the Zoom link to join the presentation circa 30 minutes before the start time.
• VIDEO RECORDING of the webinar will be available for unlimited streaming at your convenience for 7 days after the event.

Lecturer

Laurinda Dixon is a specialist in northern European Renaissance art. Currently retired, she served as the William F. Tolley Distinguished Professor of Teaching in the Humanities at Syracuse University for many years. Her scholarship considers the intersection of art and science – particularly alchemy, medicine, astrology, and music – from the fifteenth though the nineteenth centuries. She has lectured widely in both the USA and Europe, and is the author of many articles, reviews, and eleven books, including Perilous Chastity: Women and Illness in Pre-Enlightenment Art and Medicine (1995), Bosch (2003), and The Dark Side of Genius: The Melancholic Persona in Art, ca. 1500-1700 (2013). Laurinda holds a Ph.D. in art history from Boston University, as well as a degree in piano performance from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio.