This painting was executed around 1472-1475 and is dated by the marble sarcophagus dividing the figures. It was copied from Piero de Medici's tomb which Verrocchio carved in the church of San Lorenzo. In the panel an angel is shown kneeling before the Virgin, to tell her that she will soon become the mother of Christ. The messenger holds a Madonna lily, and this along with the enclosed garden, symbolises virginity.
Experts do not rave over this panel like they rave over the Mona Lisa. With its prominent lectern, and awkward composition and perspective, this artwork has sometimes been termed almost amateurish. Indeed, it does appear to have been painted by an artist still trying to understand the tricks of perspective. Horizontally the vanishing point is precisely in the centre of the picture, vertically it is two-thirds of the way up. Another obvious mistake is the Virgin's right hand placed on a lectern which is closer to the viewer than she is. Some historians strongly support the idea that the Uffizi painting was the first wholly produced by Leonardo, others hesitate to discredit him by labelling it his work, though it must be remembered that he was only in the region of 20-21 years old when this was painted and it then becomes a quite miraculous work from such a young artist.
Despite these composition errors the paintings both create a strong atmosphere and are particularly interesting works because of their early date.