The Annunciation

In the biblical story of the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel comes to the Virgin Mary and informs her that she is pregnant with Christ. Collier's take on the Annunciation parallels his treatment of the Crucifixion in Tree of Life. Nature plays a major role in the work, both visually and iconographically. Gabriel stands on a rotting tree stump, though a branch sprouts from it nonetheless. The branch — which represents new hope and prosperity — is a sugar maple, West Virginia's state tree. A youthful Mary is shown separately gathering figs. This references Mary's role as the second Eve, as Eve covered herself with fig leaves upon realizing her nakedness in Genesis. It also ties to Tree of Life, where Mary's presence is symbolized with a fig tree. Finally, it also parallels another Christian myth, where Christ came upon a barren fig tree and cursed it. In this way, Mary's fruiting tree can be seen as an absence of sin. The Annunciation invites contextual viewing when seen with Tree of Life, while also provoking the viewer to reflect on deeper underlying themes and messages.

Collier, John. John Collier, HillStream. Accessed December 13th 2020. https://www.hillstream.com/artist/john-collier.

Collier, John. The Tree of Life, HillStream. Accessed December 13th 2020. https://www.hillstream.com/artist/john-collier/sculpture-gallery.

Meditation Gardens, Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Accessed December 13th 2020. https://sacredheartcocathedral.com/garden/.

Parish History, Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Accessed December 13th 2020. https://sacredheartcocathedral.com/parish-history/.