Spanish school of the 18th century.
"Saint Anne and the Virgin".
Carved, gilded and polychrome wood.
Measurements: 33 x 17 x 16 cm.
Here appears the moment in which Saint Anne teaches Mary her first letters, a theme that does not arise from the evangelical literature but from the popular will to highlight the role of the mother's line in the human education of the Son of God, a will that also turned Saint Anne into the patron saint of the mothers of families. It is therefore a common and traditionally accepted theme, despite the fact that the Scriptures tell us that the infant Virgin was given to the temple for her education. It is an iconography that appeared at the end of the Middle Ages and became popular from the 16th century onwards, with the book appearing as an attribute of Saint Anne from that time onwards.
It is a traditional theme framed within the cycle of the Virgin's life, a scene that highlights the importance of Saint Anne's role as educator, guide and protector of little Mary. This theme became very common, especially in the 17th century, in the wake of the Counter-Reformation. Because Protestants questioned Mary's virginity and her role as intercessor before God, Marian themes were particularly popular among artists in Catholic countries. Hence the Immaculate Conception became so fashionable, and numerous scenes related to the Virgin's life were produced.