Commissioned for the “room of encounters” in the church of San Giorgio in Poggiale, this painting united the Gospel narrative with a didactic purpose, following the strict guidelines of the Counter-Reformation. Today, the work is held in the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna.
In 1584, Ludovico painted Mary, modestly dressed, intent on reading a prayer book. The angel, holding a lily, announces to the Virgin the conception of Christ, while a gust of wind opens a window through which the dove of the Holy Spirit enters. The sacred appears here not as an extraordinary event but as an intimate, everyday experience—so much so that the city of Bologna, with its towers, is visible beyond the window.
The painting is notable for presenting the Virgin and the angel as humble young people, making the scene familiar and accessible to its intended viewers.
