The Annunciation, sculpture collection Rijksmuseum

Tilman Riemenschneider, one of the most important German sculptors of the late Middle Ages, created a highly original version of The Annunciation here. The angel Gabriel, whose drapery billows out as he flies down, is dynamic and full of vitality, contrasting with the Virgin’s subdued emotion. Petrified and taken completely by surprise, she stares into space while closing her book.