The Brussels Version of the Mérode Annunciation

* A grant from Bryn Mawr College paid for the photographs. I acknowledge with pleasure this help.

Abstract

THE Annunciation in the Musée d'Art Ancien at Brussels (Fig. 1) is generally considered a copy after the Annunciation attributed to the Master of Flémalle, now in the possession of the Mérode family (Fig. 2). By comparison of shadowgraphs Mr. Burroughs has identified the copyist as Jacques Daret, and this identification has looked plausible to Dr. Held, reviewer of Burroughs' book.¹ Stylistic criteria have led me to the same conclusion. Since Burroughs' attribution and Held's endorsement seem to have passed unnoticed, it is worth while to strengthen the hypothesis with further arguments.