Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary

The lighter shade of the Virgin’s clothing and the way her hair is arranged tell us that this image does not date from the 18th century, as the chair might lead us to suppose, but from the 19th century. This depiction of the Virgin Mary’s education is the most widespread and led to the book becoming one of the more common emblems associated with the Mother of Our Lady, used even when this is not the specific scene portrayed.
Saint Anne is seated on a chair that has curled arms and an imposing back with carved and gilt 18th century-style baroque woodwork, and is wearing a bright blue shift decorated in gold, with her head and shoulders covered in a thick veil caught up at the front. She inclines towards the standing Virgin, helping support the open book from which the child is learning.