19 WITNESSING TWO TWO ACTS APOSTLES BY IN THE OF THE exhausted all the signs of emotion, and not knowing how to render the facial expression of the father appropriately, he veiled the father’s head and left it to everyone to use their own im- agination (et suo cuique animo dedit estimandum)” 34. Philostratus opens his book saying that Pythagoras’ disciples were silent con- cerning the words of their teacher because it is better to keep silence in the presence of a messenger of the deity, and also be- cause they were aware that “even silence is word — kaı to ùù siwpan logov ” 35. Finally, John Chrysostom writes: “The author ˜ ¥ [i.e. Luke] brings his narrative to this point, and leaves the hearer thirsty so that he fills up the lack by himself through reflection ( . . .). For, knowing everything wills the spirit to sleep and enfeebles it” 36. * * * Among the artists of the Renaissance, one who comes to mind in this regard is Antonello of Messina, who painted the Annuncia- tion of Mary without the angel. The angel Gabriel has already left the scene, and the movement of the air raises a page of the codex Mary was reading at his arrival. Mary turns her eyes towards the departed angel — in fact towards us, the observers — stretching out her right hand, as if giving her assent or indicating a desire to con- tinue the dialogue. The author of the Acts of the Apostles also occupies a remark- able place among the great artists of “silence as word” 37. He who kept silent concerning the ten twelfths of the testimony to be rendered to Jesus was able in that way to involve his readers in the Quintilian, Institutio oratoria 6,1. 34 Philostratus, Life of Apollonius, 1,1. 35 John Chrysostom, Homily 15 on the Acts of the Apostles; PG 60, 382. 36 Quotation of the three ancient authors by Marguerat at p. 313. Cf. M. CRIMELLA, Marta, Marta! Quattro esempi di “triangolo dram- 37 matico ” nel “grande viaggio di Luca” (Studi e Ricerche; Assisi 2009) 421, who writes : “L’arte di Luca sta proprio nel tacere alcune notizie, lasciando al lettore il compito di interpretare i silenzi, coinvolgendolo quindi in un esercizio di cooperazione ”.