Annunciation 

Konstantinos Parthenis painted this small Annunciation scene in Athens, though we don't know exactly when. Parthenis was a hugely influential figure in Greek modernism, teaching at the Athens School of Fine Arts for nearly thirty years. Throughout his career, he developed a unique, dreamlike style. Here, we see how he has adapted a traditional religious subject. Mary and the Angel Gabriel are ethereally rendered in pale colours; they're barely distinct from the architecture, and the light seems to dissolve the scene. What does it mean to render a scene from the Bible in this way? It is worth remembering that the Greek Orthodox Church still exerts a powerful influence on Greek culture. Parthenis's painting could be seen as an attempt to create a more modern, personal, and perhaps even secular vision of religious truth. As art historians, it is our task to situate works such as this within their historical and cultural context, to seek meaning in their departure from social norms.