Artwork
Saint Anne Received by the Virgin and Christ
Saint Anne Received by the Virgin and Christ is an ink print by the Baroque artist Luca Giordano. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1670, this etching by Luca Giordano belongs to the mature phase of his career and exemplifies Neapolitan Baroque printmaking. The work presents a densely populated composition in which Saint Anne, the Virgin Mary, and the Christ Child are surrounded by a host of smaller figures, some winged, all rendered with a sense of motion and atmospheric lightness.
Subject & Meaning
The central narrative portrays Saint Anne receiving the Virgin and the infant Christ, a theme linked to the education of Mary. An elder woman, identified as Saint Anne, holds a crown and looks downward, while the younger Virgin cradles the child and a youthful figure reaches upward, suggesting intergenerational devotion and divine blessing within the holy family.
Technique & Style
Giordano employed the etching process, allowing the fine incisions of his needle to remain visible, which contributes to the work’s lively, sketch‑like quality.
Giordano employed the etching process, allowing the fine incisions of his needle to remain visible, which contributes to the work’s lively, sketch‑like quality. The lines are vigorous and overlapping, creating a swirling dynamism that departs from the stark tenebrism of earlier Neapolitan artists. Instead, the composition reflects the luminous palette of Venetian painting and the fluidity of Cortona’s style.
History & Provenance
Signed simply “Giordano,” the print was likely circulated among collectors of religious imagery in the late seventeenth century. Its title, Sancta Anna, identifies the subject and aligns it with contemporary devotional prints. While specific ownership records are scarce, the piece remains an example of Giordano’s print output, complementing his more extensive oeuvre of oil paintings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Luca Giordano was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Giordano was one of the most celebrated artists of the Neapolitan Baroque, whose vast output included altarpieces, mythological paintings and…
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