The Annunciation to the Shepherds (manuscript from the Cottonian Library)

Unknown Artist · The Annunciation to the Shepherds (manuscript from the Cottonian Library)

An illuminated manuscript page rather than a painting, from a collection assembled by Sir Robert Cotton in the seventeenth century. The shepherds are ordinary working men with dogs and staffs, and the angel arrives in the top corner. The gold is leaf laid on raised gesso, so it stands slightly off the surface. Message inside reads: With best wishes for a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year