Annunciation, Simone Martini

 What do you miss from the "Before Times?" I miss museums, especially Washington's National Gallery of Art. There are artworks that I think of as my particular friends. I like to visit them every time, just to see how they are doing. This painting is about the size of a sheet of paper. I love everything about it; the warm colors, the textures stamped into the gilded background, even the odd tone of the flesh (probably because lead has discolored it over the centuries.)  It is crackled, flaked and chipped. The Archangel Gabriel has been intent on presenting that branch to the unseen Virgin Mary for 700 years. I am looking forward to seeing my old friend again, hopefully some day soon.