LILY OF THE ANGEL GABRIEL i8r 



leaves growing naturally up its whole length. 

 At the top is a single flower, which, seen in pro- 

 file, has the shape of the fleur-de-lys. Simone 

 Martini indicates the blossom's cup-like form. 

 With Orcagna we find the fully-realized stem 

 of lilies. One unidentified master of the four- 

 teenth century ' went even further in botanical 

 fidelity, and paints the bulb and pendent root^ 

 lets, though, strangely enough, he at the same 

 time keeps to the old convention and places a 

 scroll in the hand of both Madonna and angel. 

 Meanwhile, in 1344, Ambrogio di Lorenzettr 

 had painted an Annunciation ^ in which the 

 angel, crowned with ohve, holds the palm branch 

 with which the ancient Romans were accustomed 

 to salute a conqueror. The symbol of the palm 

 was used also by Spinello Aretino,^ a pupil of 

 Giotto, and was supported by Dante, who de- 

 scribes the angel Gabriel as: 



' He that bore the palm 

 Down unto Mary, when the Son of God 

 Vouchsafed to clothe Him in terrestrial weeds.' 



But it did not come into general use in this con- 



1 Vatican. ' Belle Arti, Siena. 



* The Cathedral, Arezzo. 



