Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Annunciation (Memling)

Annunciation (Memling)

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page.

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/March 25, 2023 by Wehwalt (talk) 16:22, 8 February 2023 (UTC)

 however unscheduled on 20 March because of concern another Annunciation painting was scheduled for TFP.--Wehwalt (talk) 20:09, 20 March 2023 (UTC)

The Annunciation is an oil painting by the Early Netherlandish painter Hans Memling. It depicts the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, described in the Gospel of Luke. The iconography focuses on the Virgin's purity. Her swoon foreshadows the Crucifixion of Jesus, and the painting emphasizes her role as mother, bride, and Queen of Heaven. The painting was executed in the 1480s. It was discovered in the early 19th century on an estate of the Radziwiłł family, in whose collection it might have been since the 16th century. It was purchased by the banker Philip Lehman in 1920, was transferred to canvas from its original oak panel sometime after 1928, and is today part of the Robert Lehman collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 1847 the art historian Gustav Friedrich Waagen described the panel as one of Memling's "finest and most original works".
 * Most recent similar article(s): The World Before the Flood (painting, 4 August 2022)
 * Main editors: ,
 * Promoted: 8 August 2015
 * Reasons for nomination: 25 March is the Feast of the Annunciation.
 * Support as nominator. Ham II (talk) 16:26, 8 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Support. Thanks for the ping, for the copyedits, and for the nomination. This is actually the third time around and each time it's been argued that this article should adhere to the Christian liturgical calendar, which I'm not crazy about, but it would be nice to see this article get featured at some point! Victoria (tk) 22:40, 8 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Support Johnbod (talk) 03:05, 9 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Support - I don't see any better time connection. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 09:01, 9 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Support. Gog the Mild (talk) 23:53, 14 January 2023 (UTC)

Annunciation (Memling)

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page unless you are renominating the article at TFAR. For renominations, please add   to the top of the discussion and   at the bottom, then complete a new nomination underneath. To do this, see the instructions at TFAR nom/doc.

The result was: not scheduled by Wehwalt (talk) 06:38, 26 October 2022 (UTC)



The Annunciation is an oil painting on oak panel attributed to Early Netherlandish painter Hans Memling. It depicts the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus. The panel shows her in a domestic interior with two attendant angels. Gabriel is dressed in ecclesiastical robes, while a dove hovers above Mary, representing the Holy Spirit. The iconography focuses on the Virgin's purity. Her swoon foreshadows the Crucifixion of Jesus, and the panel emphasizes her role as mother, bride, and Queen of Heaven. The painting was completed around 1482, and the original frame survived until the 19th century. It was partially transferred to canvas in the 1920s, and it is today held in the Robert Lehman collection of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1847 Gustav Friedrich Waagen described it as one of Memling's "finest and most original works".
 * Most recent similar article(s): The World Before the Flood
 * Main editors: Various
 * Promoted: August 8, 2015
 * Reasons for nomination: as December 1st is the first day of advent, I thought it was fitting. Honestly this was a rush job (I.e. no hyperlinks) so feel free to edit if you want.
 * Support as nominator. Great Mercian (talk) 17:27, 23 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose - The article has not been substantially edited since 2019 and not touched since February so it shouldn't be TFA until someone has gone through it and made sure it's still up to standard.--NØ 17:40, 23 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Comment - the fitting date is 25 March when annunciation is celebrated, 9 months before Christmas --Gerda Arendt (talk) 21:07, 23 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Comment I'm the author of the article and should have received a ping. In terms of whether it's up-to-date - it's an article about a six hundred year old painting, so not much has changed. As author, it's obviously on my watchlist and has in fact been watched and tended if needed. Pinging the co-nom . I have no opinion re date for TFA run. Victoria (tk) 21:38, 23 September 2022 (UTC)

📝 "Don't get complacent..." 08:43, 25 September 2022 (UTC) 📝 "Don't get complacent..." 08:40, 24 September 2022 (UTC) 📝 "Don't get complacent..." 08:51, 25 September 2022 (UTC) 📝 "Don't get complacent..." 10:20, 25 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Support, although the blurb will need trimming to between 925 and 1,025 characters. It is currently 1,387. Gog the Mild (talk) 21:50, 23 September 2022 (UTC)
 * More than trimming, the blurb would need links, italics and other formatting, - it's unprofessional writing. However, why 1 December? I suggest to close this and come again in February. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 21:55, 23 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Well that throws my entire December 1st idea away. Great Mercian (talk) 00:33, 24 September 2022 (UTC)
 * @Gerda Arendt and @Gog the Mild, I have taken the liberty of adding necessary links and trimming details which I found too overwhelming for the blurb. Courtesy ping to @Victoria the author, who is best fit to judge whether the blurb aptly captures the essence of the lead. ‍ ‍ Your Power 🐍 ‍  ‍ 💬 "What did I tell you?"
 * Oppose for this specific day as I do not see the relevance of Advent to this article. Perhaps scheduling it for a non-specific date instead would be better. <b style="border-radius:3em;padding:4px;background:#926f52;color:white;">‍ ‍ Your Power 🐍 ‍ </b> ‍ <span style="display:inline-block;margin-bottom:-0.3em;vertical-align:-0.4em;line-height:1.2em;font-size:80%;text-align:left"><sup style="font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">💬 "What did I tell you?"
 * Thank you for the blurb! I don't why nominate for an arbitrary day - sometime in November that would likely be - when we have the specific day Annunciation Day, 25 March? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 08:49, 25 September 2022 (UTC)
 * No idea either, Gerda. I suppose the next decision is really up to the original nominator. Do not feel dejected by my oppose; you are still free to change the date. <b style="border-radius:3em;padding:4px;background:#926f52;color:white;">‍ ‍ Your Power 🐍 ‍ </b> ‍ <span style="display:inline-block;margin-bottom:-0.3em;vertical-align:-0.4em;line-height:1.2em;font-size:80%;text-align:left"><sup style="font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">💬 "What did I tell you?"
 * "as December 1st is the first day of advent, I thought it was fitting." I'm not changing the date. Great Mercian (talk) 10:12, 25 September 2022 (UTC)
 * @Great Mercian: others above and below me have suggested dates which show a stronger relationship with the Annunciation, the event depicted by the article subject. The first day of Advent, in comparison, has tenuous connections - what do the two have in common other than the fact that they are important events in Christianity? One might as well say "nominate this on any Sunday because it is the Christian Sabbath". I believe it would be more productive to engage with their suggestions constructively instead of keeping a close mind and sticking to your original idea without any discernible reason; such an attitude discourages collaborative editing. <b style="border-radius:3em;padding:4px;background:#926f52;color:white;">‍ ‍ Your Power 🐍 ‍ </b> ‍ <span style="display:inline-block;margin-bottom:-0.3em;vertical-align:-0.4em;line-height:1.2em;font-size:80%;text-align:left"><sup style="font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">💬 "What did I tell you?"
 * Oppose for this date per Gerda. 25 March is the date with the strongest association with the Annunciation. According to, though, there are readings on the Annunciation on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, which would be 18 December this year. I would be on board with featuring the article on that date. It does raise the question, though, of what is planned for the Christmas Day TFA, and whether 18 December would be felt to be too close to it. Ham II (talk) 09:32, 25 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Coordinator comment I've started to plan December but I haven't given any thought to December 25 yet. If people want to opine on December 18, that might be good even though it's too early for a formal nomination for that date.--Wehwalt (talk) 16:19, 28 September 2022 (UTC)
 * December's now open. Comments welcome.--Wehwalt (talk) 22:14, 11 October 2022 (UTC)
 * The question is if we tend to suggest that the time between annunciation and birth was 9 months as for normal babies, or a few days. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 22:36, 11 October 2022 (UTC)
 * I think March 25 would be a more appropriate date for this article's run. Z1720 (talk) 00:35, 13 October 2022 (UTC)


 * Oppose for this date, run on March 25 to go with the Feast of the Annunciation. Hog Farm Talk 17:52, 14 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose per Gerda. March 25 does seem a better slot. Ceoil (talk) 16:54, 16 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Coordinator comment I'm closing this per the discussion as "no". Feel free to renominate for a future date.--Wehwalt (talk) 06:38, 26 October 2022 (UTC)