The AnnunciationMatheo Mexía

This oil on canvas (mid-17th c.) shows the moment the archangel Gabriel approaches Mary as she reads, with a dove and gilded rays marking the descent of the Holy Spirit. Inscribed scrolls, lilies, and Mary’s richly embroidered robe articulate purity and divine favor within a domestic interior. The tiled floor, floral motifs, and vase of flowers reveal how Quito painters localized a universal Christian scene through familiar Andean-colonial ornament.