Asked by David

The Annunciation Triptych from the Merode Altarpiece by Robert Campin. The angel Gabriel visits Mary.
In the above image, what does the white towel in the back of the middle panel represent?

b.
purity
c.
a sense of order

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
b. purity

The white cloth/towel is a conventional symbol of purity and virginity in Northern Renaissance iconography. (It can also allude to domestic order, but its primary symbolic meaning in the Annunciation context is Mary’s purity.)