St Anne and the Virgin with the Child 1472 - 1553

Lucas Cranach the Elder etched this image of Saint Anne and the Virgin with Child. The figures are arranged in a vertical composition with God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and angels watching over them. The motif of the Holy Kinship speaks volumes about familial bonds. It’s seen as a divine endorsement of human family, echoing through art history from Byzantine icons to Renaissance paintings, each bearing witness to the enduring power of familial love. Consider the tender gesture of Anne holding Mary who in turn holds Jesus. It echoes across cultures, from ancient Egyptian depictions of Isis and Horus to Renaissance Madonnas, revealing a collective yearning for maternal comfort. The symbolism of the Holy Family is ever evolving; the image is cyclical, recurring across art history. Its emotional depth continues to resonate.