Saint Anne with Madonna and Child Masolino da Panicale (Tommaso di Cristoforo Fini) (1383-1447)

Description of Masaccio’s "Saint Anne with the Madonna and Child"

"Saint Anne with Madonna and Child," commonly referred to as Sant’Anna Metterza, is a pictorial work in tempera paint, measuring 175x103 cm. It is attributed to the great Masaccio, who painted it between 1424 and 1425. It is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The work is a masterpiece of Masaccio’s work and one of the key paintings of the first milestones of the Florentine Renaissance.

It is thought that it was painted by Masaccio for the basilica of the Florentine church of Sant’Ambrogio, then in 1813 it became part of the collection of the Accademia delle Arti, and finally of the Uffizi Gallery in 1919.

The form of the work is unusual for the time, with no side panels, some researchers have suggested that it was the central panel of a polyptych that was divided in 1568.

Three angels lay a precious damask drapery behind the Madonna, Child, and St. Anne, creating the depth of the painting, a background much more modern than the all-gold specified in the Renaissance canons. At the bottom of the painting are two more angels, whose figures also follow hierarchical proportions-they are much smaller than the figures of the saints. The saints, in turn, are seated on a two-part throne with a pedestal.

Art historians agree that the iconographic canons suggested that the figure of St. Anne, mother of Mary and grandmother of Christ, was supposed to reinforce the Madonna and Child. This is evidenced by the protective gesture, the hand positioned above the head of the Child. The original use of light, painted by Masaccio, inexorably moves the focus to the two figures in the foreground, which was contrary to traditional iconography.