A hand-coloured woodcut by Swiss Renaissance artist Urs Graf, depicting the traditional biblical scene of the Annunciation with bold, expressive lines.

This woodcut depicts the biblical scene of the Annunciation, where the Archangel Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary. Urs Graf, a Swiss Renaissance artist known for his work as a goldsmith and printmaker, employs a direct, graphic approach characteristic of early sixteenth-century woodblock printing. The composition is divided between the seated Virgin, who occupies the left side, and the standing angel on the right. A tall staff held by Gabriel acts as a vertical axis, separating the two figures while simultaneously drawing the eye upward toward the upper register of the print. The lines are bold and economical, typical of the woodcut medium where every mark requires the removal of wood from the block. The artist uses hatching to suggest shadow and form, particularly in the drapery of the figures and the architectural elements of the interior. The hand-applied colour, likely added shortly after the initial printing, provides a muted palette of ochre, red, and blue, which softens the starkness of the black ink lines. This print reflects the popular religious iconography of the period, intended for devotional use or as an illustration within a printed book. Graf was active in Basel and his work often carries a certain raw energy that distinguishes it from the more polished output of his contemporaries. The figures are rendered with a sense of immediacy, prioritising narrative clarity over anatomical precision. The background is simplified, focusing the viewer on the interaction between the two central characters. This piece offers a glimpse into the production of small-scale devotional imagery that circulated widely in early modern Europe. It remains a representative example of the graphic arts during the transition from the late Gothic period to the full flowering of the Northern Renaissance.