The Birth of Mary

The panel from the early 16th century corresponds to the type of representation of the birth of Mary developed in the Middle Ages: Anna, who is marked as a married woman by the white scarf, sits upright under a canopy in a bed. At her side stands either a cradle or - as here - a bath tub with a nurse holding the child. The portrayal of women as companions who give Anna strength is also often found. While birth takes place in many depictions in sacred rooms, since the late Middle Ages the interior of a secular bedroom has also been common - sanctified at best by the presence of an angel.