The Turn of the Tide

A Reflection by Patricia Conneen on “The Annunciation” by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

“And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

And Mary said, “Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”

The Annunciation

Henry Ossawa Tanner’s (1859-1937) painting, “The Annunciation,” could be viewed as a study in contrasts. The artist’s use of deep variations of light and shade announce and magnify the dramatic moment and its subject matter.

Rather than the often idealized renditions of the virgin portrayed by the earlier Renaissance painters, Tanner’s Mary is presented as a young woman of humble Hebrew origin. In the earlier style Mary often appears as a quite well-to-do, graciously composed hostess, adorned with halo and neatly dressed in her best for the momentous occasion. In contrast, Tanner portrays Mary as a true-to-life human being. This a Mary that we can relate to. Without a chance to tidy her hair or make her bed, her daily life is interrupted. We can identify with her humanity, her fears, confusion and frailty. And yet the artist invites us into a fuller reality that flesh and blood might, after all, commune with the nonmaterial. He awakens us to the possibility that the gap we so often experience between the spiritual and the material might not be quite as wide or interminable as we imagine it to be.

Also in contrast to earlier icons and paintings, the angel Gabriel appears as column of light rather than a winged, lily-bearing (or sometimes trumpet-wielding) overgrown human. This is the one who stands in the presence of God and the golden light emanating from his being illuminates the room, Mary, and the rumpled linens of her bed. Even the lamp light dulls in in his presence.

In addition to these contrasts the painting also presents us with one of the most pivotal moments in the history of mankind since Eden. Apart from the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ, I can think of none more momentous. In the Gospel according to Luke we read that Mary was “greatly troubled” by the angel’s greeting. Tanner seems to have captured the very moment when Mary’s fear was assuaged by the angel Gabriel’s exhortation to not be afraid. She lifts her eyes to gaze upon and into the wonder set before her. Then opening to the profound mystery of all that the angel has announced, responds from the deep practiced “yes” in her heart and the uncreated Creator God, becomes man. The tide has turned; the sequel to the Old Testament is now underway and nothing will ever be the same.

Prayer

Father, Thank you for the gift of you Son, Jesus. Thank you for the role-model you have given us in his mother, Mary. During this Advent Season would you search my heart and show me if there are any ways that my fears have become obstacles to moving forward into what I believe you have called me. As you yourself opened to the vulnerability of the incarnation, open my heart that you might be more fully formed in me. Thank you for the deep solidarity your incarnation brings. Help me to find comfort in it.

Amen.

Patricia Conneen is a wife, mom, grandmother, spiritual director and yet another disciple who Jesus loves. Contact Patricia.