The Annunciation

One of the largest surviving depictions of the Annunciation, this imposing painting was most likely commissioned by Ferry de Clugny, whose family coat of arms—the two joined keys—decorates the carpet and stained-glass window. In 1465, Ferry founded the Chapelle Dorée as his burial site in the Saint-Lazare cathedral at Autun and lavishly decorated it with artworks, probably including this panel. The composition is based on a design by Rogier van der Weyden. Possibly commissioned before his death in 1464, it was painted by Memling, who, technical evidence suggests, was a journeyman in Rogier’s Brussels workshop before establishing himself in Bruges in 1465.