Mary is portrayed by John Collier as a girl of our times as she would be seen coming home from school. She is holding the book of Isaiah saying that “a virgin would conceive and bear a son.” The Lilly in the foreground represents her purity, the black window is representative of her virginity, and the nearby dove the Holy Spirit waiting for her. John Collier also paints Mary’s face in astonishment at the spectacle before her. She also looks much younger, a fact most painters don’t seem to capture when replicating the Annunciation scene. In this video, the author speaks about the painting.