Hacker was one of a generation of British artists who trained in Paris. Here he developed a style that harmonised plein air realism with academic idealism. His art was also influenced by his travels in Spain and
Morocco as indicated by the lighting and setting of this painting. The subject derives from the 2nd century Protevangelium of James which describes Mary receiving the Annunciation from an invisible angel while
gathering water from a well. Infra-red photography reveals that the composition originally featured a woman wearing a headscarf seated, behind Mary, at the lower left.
