Saint Anna and Saint Joachim

Art Historical Context

This delicate alabaster sculpture, *Saint Anna and Saint Joachim dates to around 1430–50 and hails from Germany during the late Middle Ages. It depicts the pious parents of the Virgin Mary—Saint Anna, often shown as a matronly figure of maternal devotion, and Saint Joachim, her husband—likely in a tender moment of reunion or prayer. Created by an unknown artist, such small-scale works (just 9 inches tall) were prized as portable devotional objects for homes or personal altars, reflecting the era's deep Catholic spirituality amid the waning Gothic period. Carved from translucent alabaster, a s...