The Gospel of Luke tells how the angel Gabriel was sent to Mary in Nazareth to announce that she would bear a son and name him Jesus. Mary's reply, "Let it be done to me according to your word," is remembered by Catholics on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, and in the first Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. Artists have painted the scene for well over a thousand years, usually showing the angel, Mary, and often a lily or a book as signs of her purity and prayer.
Here is a selection from the collection, from a twelfth-century Russian icon to Renaissance, Baroque and modern paintings, all in the public domain. Click any title to see the full post, or use the download link under each image.
