Monday, July 25, 2022

2022 Saint Anne Update

 

Master of the Ango Hours, Saints Anne and Joachim
with a Donor
From a Prayer Book
French (Rouen), c. 1515-1525
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Nouvelle acquisition latine 83, fol. 18v
July 26th is the feast day of Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. They, and especially St. Anne, have been important saints for most of the life of the Church and are frequently featured in Christian art. 

Annually, over the last decade since my first post in 2011, I have added various images of Saints Anne and Joachim. The number keeps growing because, as the internet has become a more widely available tool, the number of museums and libraries that make their collections available online keeps growing. Further, museums and libraries that made their collections available in the earliest years continue to release more material from their holdings and to upgrade the quality of those they had already shared as they continue to enhance their online presence. Since Anne and Joachim have been important for so long, we are still only seeing the tip of the iceberg of images that probably exist.

Each year I have continued to add to the collection of images available through this blog as new ones become accessible. I link these images with the essays about their iconological type which I did in 2011.  Just click on the section headings to be linked to the essays.

In addition, in the last several years I have identified new subjects within the general "Saints Anne and Joachim" theme.  For example, five years ago I came across several images that fit into a new category that I called "Parental Love". Like pictures that imagine the life of Jesus as a boy in His home in Nazareth, these images imagine the relationship between Mary, as a little girl, and her parents. 

This year I am adding two new categories.  I call one, "The Story of Salvation" because it consists of all the apochryphal stories about Mary's birth and childhood as small images set around an image of the Annunciation.  The other I call "The Death of Saint Anne" because that is what the images depict.

For the third year in a row I have found so many new images that I am overwhelmed.  Consequently, I have chosen to include only a selection of these "new" images and will save the remainder for future years.  

So, now I present the 2022 additions to the iconography of Saint Anne. Each section heading is also a link to the original article which explains the iconography. Click on the section headings to learn more.

Please note that, due to personal health issues, there was no 2021 update.

Annunciation of Mary's Birth


Annunciation of the Birth of Mary to Saint Anne
From Vies de la Vierge et du Christ
Italian (Naples), c. 1350
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 9561, fol. 115r


Annunciation of the Birth of Mary to Saint Joachim
From Vies de la Vierge et du Christ
Italian (Naples), c. 1350
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 9561, fol. 116v

Master of the Livre du Sacre of Charles V and Workshop, Annunciation of the Birth of Mary to Saints Anne and Joachim
From Speculum humanae salvationis
French (Paris), c. 1370-1380
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Nouvelle acquisition francaise 15940, fol. 18v

Jacquemart de Hesdin and Workshop, Annunciation of the Birth of Mary to Saints Joachim and Anne
From Grandes heures de Jean de Berry
French (Paris), 1409
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 919, fol. 18r

Jacquemart de Hesdin and Workshop, Joachim's Offering Refused
From Grandes heures de Jean de Berry
French (Paris), 1409
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 919, fol. 8r

Annunciation of the Birth of Mary to Saints Anne and Joachim
From Speculum humanae salvationis
German (Cologne), c. 1450
The Hague, Meermano Museum
MS RMMW 10 B 34, fol. 3v

Jean le Tavernier, Annunciation of the Birth of Mary to Saint Joachim and Meeting at the Golden Gate
From Miracles de Notre Dame by Jean Mielot
Flemish (Oudenarde), 1456
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 9198, fol. 3v

Meeting at the Golden Gate

Master Henri, Saints Anne and Joachim
From Livre d'Images de Madame Marie
Flemish (Hainault), c. 1285-1290
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Nouvelle acquisition francaise 16251, fol. 18v

Meeting at the Golden Gate
From Vies de la Vierge et du Christ
Italian (Naples), c. 1350
Paris, BNF
MS Francais 9561, fol. 117r

Jacquemart de Hesdin and Workshop, Meeting at the Golden Gate
From Grandes heures de Jean de Berry
French (Paris), 1409
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 919, fol. 24r

Jean Dreux and Others, Meeting at the Golden Gate (with the Annunciation of Mary's Birth to Saint Joachim in the background)
From Compendium historiae universalis
Flemish, c. 1450-1460
The Hague, Meermano Museum
MS MMW 10 A 21, fol. 66r


Saints Joachim and Anne Meeting at the Golden Gate
From a Book of Hours
French (Paris), c. 1490
The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek
MS KB 76 F 17, fol. 111r

The Birth of Mary

Petrus de Raimbaucourt, Infant Mary
From a Missal
French (Amiens), 1323
The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek
MS KB 78 D 40, fol. 109r

Birth of Mary
From Vies de la Vierge et du Christ
Italian (Naples), c. 1350
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 9561, fol. 118v

Master of the Livre du Sacre of Charles V and Workshop, Birth and Presentation of Mary
From Speculum humanae salvationis
French (Paris), c. 1370-1380
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Nouvelle acquisition francaise 15940, fol. 18v

Jacquemart de Hesdin and Workshop, Birth of the Virgin
From Grandes heures de Jean de Berry
French (Paris), 1409
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 919, fol. 28

Birth of the Virgin
From Speculum humanae salvationis
German (Cologne), c. 1450
The Hague, Meermano Museum
MS RMMW 10 B 34, fol. 4v

Master of Edward IV, Birth of the Virgin
From Speculum humanae salvationis
Flemish (Bruges), c. 1485
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 6275, fol. 5v

Birth of Mary
From a Prayer Book
Flemish (Antwerp). c. 1525
The Hague, Meermano Museum
MS RMMW 10 E 4, fol. 85r

Presentation of Mary in the Temple

Presentation of the Virgin
From Vies de la Vierge et du Christ
Italian (Naples), c. 1350
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 9561, fol. 119

Master of the Livre du Sacre of Charles V and Workshop, Birth and Presentation of Mary
From Speculum humanae salvationis
French (Paris), c. 1370-1380
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Nouvelle acquisition francaise 15940, fol. 18v



Niccolo di Buonaccorso, Presentation of the Virgin
Italian, 1380
Florence, Gallerie degli Uffizi

Pseudo-Jacquemart, Presentation of the Virgin
From the Petites heures of Jean de Berry
French (Bourges), c. 1385-1390
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 18014, fol. 142v

Presentation of the Virgin
From the Breviary of Martin of Aragon
Spanish (Catalan), c. 1398-1430
Paris, Bibliotheque national de France
MS Rothschild 2529, fol. 312r

Jacquemart de Hesdin and Workshop, Presentation of the Virgin
From Grandes heures de Jean de Berry
French (Paris), 1409
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 919, fol. 31r

Master of Edward IV, Presentation of the Virgin
From Speculum humanae salvationis
Flemish (Bruges), c. 1485
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 6275, fol. 6v

Saint Anne as Teacher, the Education of the Virgin

The Education of the Virgin
From a Book of Litanies
English, c. 1350-1400
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 400, fol. 38v


The Education of the Virgin
From a Book of Hours
French (Paris), 15th Century
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS NAL 3115, fol. 187r

Workshop of the Bedford Master, Saint Anne and the Virgin as a Child
From a Book of Hours
French (Paris)m c, 1440-1450
Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum
MS Ludwig IX 6, fol. 223v

Anonymous Bolognese Artist, The Education of the Virgin
Italian, 17th Century
London, Royal Collection Trust


Jacques Callot, The Education of the Virgin, July 26
From Les Images de Tous les Saincts et Saintes de l'Annee
French, 1636
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art


Saint Anne, the Root of the Tree of Salvation, Anna Selbdritt


Anna Selbdritt
From Hours of Louis of Savoy
French (Savoy), c. 1445-1460
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 9473, fol. 182v


Anna Selbdritt
German, c. 1475-1500
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art


Glass Roundel of Saint Anne with the Virgin and Child
Flemish, c. 1480-1500
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Collection


Saint Anne with the Virgin and Child
German, c. 1520
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art


Marcantonio Raimondi, Anna Selbdritt
Italian, c. 1520
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art


Lorenzo Lotto, Holy Family with Saint Jerome
Italian, 1534
Florence, Gallerie degli Uffizi


Glass panel with the Arms of Pierre Babenberg with Anna Selbdritt amd Saint Joachim
German, 1540
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Objets d'art du Moyen Age, de la Renaissance et des temps modernes


Attributed to Santi Bugioni, Anna Selbdritt with Saints Anthony Abbot and Anthony of Padua
Italian, c. 1550
Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Sculptures du Moyen Age, de la Renaissance et des temps modernes



Godfried Schalken, Holy Family with Saint Anne and an Angel
Dutch, c. 1680-1685
Paris, Musée du Louvre


Saint Anne as a Grandmother

Lucas Cranach the Elder, Saint Anne with the Virgin and Child
German, Early 16th Century
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Albrecht Duerer, Saint Anne with the Virgin and the Infant Christ
German, c. 1500
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Lucas van Leyden, Madonna and Child with Saint Anne
Dutch, 1516
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art


Workshop of Albert Cornelis, Virgin and Child with Saint Anne
Flemish, c. 1520
London, National Gallery




Shrine of Saint Anne and the Holy Kinship
Flemish, Late 15th Century
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Collection


Israhel van Mechkenem, Holy Family with Saints Anne and Joachim
German, Late 15th Century
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Parental Love

Jacquemart de Hesdin and Workshop, The Young Mary with her Parents
From Grandes heures de Jean de Berry
French (Paris), 1409
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 919, fol. 37r

Giuliano Traballesi, The Young Virgin Mary with Her Parents, Saints Anne and Joachim
Italian, c. 1760-1800
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art


The Story of Salvation

This subject is included for the first time this year.  These images all focus on the subject of the Annunciation of the potential birth of Jesus made by Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, which will be accomplished by her consent.  This act constitutes the Incarnation, the first action in the salvation of the world.  Thus it is part of the history of Jesus, as well as part of the history of Mary, his mother.  It is the cause for which Mary is exalted, the beginning of theological speculation about her antecedents, that culminates in the later Marian dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption and goes far beyond the fanciful speculations of the Proto Evangelion that gave us the charming stories and vignettes associated with Saints Anne and Joachim.  It forms a sort of bridging moment between those tales and the words of the New Testament.  

The images I found this year that acknowledge this bridge all center on the moment of the Annunciation, but they include, as a sort of frame, smaller images taken from the Proto-Evangelion.  I am including three here.  Of these, all three include the image of the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple and the Marriage of the Virgin (a story from the Proto-Evangelion that does not include Saint Anne), two include the story of the birth of Mary, two include the Meeting at the Golden Gate and one squeezes in the Annunciation of the Birth of the Virgin to Saint Joachim.

Annunciation with Scenes from the Lives of Saints Anne and Joachim
From a Book of Hours
French (Paris), c. 1450-1475
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 1175, fol. 21


Annunciation with Scenes from the Lives of Saints Anne and Joachim
From a Book of Hours
French (Rouen), c. 1450-1500
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Nouvelle acquisition latine 3134, fol. 25r


Annunciation with a Donor with Scenes from the Lives of Saints Anne and Joachim
From a Book of Hours
French (Paris Probably), c. 1490-1500
The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek
MS KB 76 F 14, fol. 19r


The Death of Saint Anne

This subject is one I discovered for the first time this year.  It depicts Saint Anne, in old age and on her deathbed, being visited by her daughter who has brought the infant Jesus, while heavenly visions swirl overhead.  Both examples come from the Baroque period.  It is too early in my research to determine if this is a particularly Baroque invention, but it may be.  In addition, both are in the form of drawings and, so far, I know of no painted versions of this iconography.  But it is an intriguing clue that more such images may exist.

Cesare Fantetti, Death of Saint Anne Surrounded by Her Family
Italian, c. 1670-1680
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art


Andrea Scacciati, The Death of Saint Anne
Italian, 1766
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art


Novena Prayer to Saint Anne

"O glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present intention which I recommend to you in your special care.

Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen."


Note:  The original 2011 iconographic explanations are linked to the headings in each of the sections above.  

In addition, prior years updates can be linked to below or can be located in the Blog Archive on the right side of the page, by year for the month of July.

2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020

There was no 2021 update.

© M. Duffy, 2022