Marisa Merz8 - Untitled, n. d.Mixed media on plywood, Collection Merz, photo: Renato Ghiazza © SIAE, Rome, 2024In this work, Marisa Merz refers to the Italian religious painting from the 14th and 15th centuries. Even if the work remains untitled – as is usually the case with Merz – the figure of the Virgin Mary is made recognizable by her blue veil or cloak. As in the famous Annunciata (Virgin Annunciate) by Antonello da Messina from 1476, the intense blue provides the composition with unity. It is outlined by a thick black line that emphasizes the folds of the garment and sets the silhouette apart from the gold background typical of icons. Such paintings on wood, frequently on a gold ground, were created in the Byzantine Empire and depicted holy figures.
