The Annunciation of the Virgin Deal

Credit: Gift of Dato' Kho Hui Meng 2023, Collection of SMU

‘The Annunciation of the Virgin Deal' by Grayson Perry is one of six tapestries from his series The Vanity of Small Differences. The tapestries tell the story of Tim Rakewell, a fictional 21st century software developer who ascents from his working-class background up the social and economic ladder. Through the series, Perry, a great chronicler of contemporary British life, makes stealthy comments about class and taste, décor and decorum, and the status of the artist versus that of the artisan. The artist's primary inspiration was A Rake's Progress (c. 1733-35) by William Hogarth, which chronicles the decline and fall of fictional character Tom Rakewell. The secondary influence comes from early Renaissance art, as referenced in the title and motifs alluding to Carlo Crivelli, Matthias Grünewald, Robert Campin and Jan van Eyck.