Saint Anne Trinitarian in carved and polychrome wood - 16th century

This very beautiful statuary group dating from the 16th century represents Saint Anne, the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus. This Christian iconographic theme, bringing together the three generations, the grandmother, the mother and the Child Jesus, was very popular in the West, especially in Germany.

Saint Anne and Mary are represented seated on a throne, the infant Jesus standing between them. Both are dressed in a long dress falling in deep and broken pleats on the front.
Saint Anne presents a gentle face. She is holding a book with a three-lobed clasp in her left hand.
The infant Jesus is represented naked, quite plump, one hand resting on his grandmother's book, the other seeming to want to grab the bunch of grapes that Mary holds out to him. Her face is jovial, framed by an abundance of small curls.
A great tenderness emerges from this statuary group sculpted in an original composition.

Dimensions: H.45 cm x L.32 cm x D.21 cm

Lime tree
Germany
16th century

The theme of the bunch of grapes can have its source in representations of ancient Christianity: the Virgin is likened to the vine, which allows the baby Jesus to ripen as a divine grape.
In reference to Christ, the grape and therefore the wine that is then drawn, symbolizes the Eucharist.