In Christianity, the Annunciation is the revelation to Mary, mother of Jesus, by the Archangel Gabriel, that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. The picture shows Mary being visited by the Archangel Gabriel. The lilies are a symbol of purity and Mary's virginity, the iris' were considered a sign of warning or danger. The Victorian audience looking at this picture would have understood the symbolism of these images.