2-743-295 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Annunciation, 1594. The series of six prints, The Life of the Virgin , is also known as the Master Engravings, an acknowledgment of Goltzius's significant achievement. Each of the six engravings evokes a different artistic style, imitating but not copying works by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1526), Federico Barocci (about 1535-1612), and others. An engraved dedication to Wilhelm V, Duke of Bavaria, appears in the lower left corner. Written by poet Cornelis Schoneus (1540-1611), it praises the versatility and skill of Hendrik Goltzius. The inscription across the bottom that refers to the subject of the print reads: "Set aside your fear, Virgin, I appear to you as a messenger sent from the heavenly vault: undamaged shall you give birth, to the astonishment of nature, following the prophecies sung by the ancient prophets, and the whole world will worship you as the mother of god."