The Annunciation, c. 1475, oil on panel, 45×34.5 cm, Galleria Regionale della Sicilia. The Annunciation is a remarkably vivid portrait, but only by reading the title do we realize it is an “Annunciation” without angels; it can be said to be the most innovative “Annunciation” in the history of Western art. Mary sits at a desk in her chamber. Within a particularly rigorous triangular composition, we see only the Virgin Mary, startled by something from outside the frame while reading. Her entire body is covered by an old gray-blue robe, revealing only her serene facial expression. Under bright lighting, she appears exceptionally vibrant. Her innocent eyes do not look directly at the viewer but glance slightly outward. Her right hand gently pinches the blue robe. Most striking is her left hand, tilted upward; with its unconventional perspective and contrasting light and shadow, it opens with self-aware grace, signaling willingness to accept everything as if greeting the angel from outside the painting. This fully realizes poetic imagery and extraordinary imaginative space, presenting an unprecedented expression of the angel in painting history. No wonder art historian Roberto Longhi emotionally remarked: “This is the most beautiful hand I know in art.” Notably, eight years later (1483), Leonardo da Vinci depicted the Virgin’s right hand in his two paintings of the Virgin of the Rocks in the same expressive pose. Is this a coincidence, or was he inspired by de Messina?