Saint Anne, the Virgin Mary’s mother, remains understudied despite her prominence in late medieval and early Renaissance art. As an apocryphal, or “constructed,” saint, her legacy is largely constituted through literary and visual representations. Any consideration of her presence or absence in Marian discourse must therefore account for her depiction alongside her daughter, particularly the compositional, symbolic, and exegetical choices that shape their relationship.
In our November research seminar, Dr Maryanne Saunders Klein will examine three near-contemporaneous paintings in the National Gallery, London: Leonardo da Vinci’s The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and the Infant Saint John the Baptist (the Burlington House Cartoon, 1506–8); Francesco Francia’s Saint Anne with the Virgin and Four Saints (the Buonvisi Altarpiece, 1510–12); and Gerolamo dai Libri’s The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne (1510–18).
Building on her previous research, she will argue that Anne’s imagery enters into a complex dialogue with Mary’s, positioning the two as visual and conceptual counterparts. Anne’s appearance in art has varied enormously over the centuries, from a monumental, pseudo-Trinitarian figure embodying Christ’s lineage to a grandmotherly, domestic ideal. Yet what distinguishes her in the paintings to be discussed in this seminar is how she appears to occupy a compositional position equal to, or overlapping with, Mary’s. This shift from monumental genealogical figure to intimate partnership, and even visual fusion, with her daughter poses intriguing questions as to Anne’s physical and spiritual status, and how these images were received in their original context.
Our Guest Speaker
Dr Maryanne Saunders Klein is an art historian and public engagement practitioner. Her research explores matrilineality, feminist and queer approaches to religious imagery, and the reception of sacred art. Most recently, she was the Ahmanson Fellow in Art and Religion at the National Gallery, London, having previously held fellowships at Lincoln College, University of Oxford, and Yale Divinity School.
Register
If you'd like to attend this presentation, please register by sending an email to Catherine O'Brien at the following address: info@marianstudies.ac.uk
You'll receive the free Zoom link the day before the seminar.
