Unknown artist
St. Anne is portrayed with her finger to her lips, c. 8th- or 9th-century
Fresco
Discovered at Faras Cathedral in old Nubia, in present day Sudan
National Museum in Warsaw
The Nativity of the Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Church as a day of universal joy. Within the context of the Old and the New Testaments, Mary was born, having been chosen before the ages by Divine Providence, to bring about the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. She is revealed as the Mother Jesus Christ.
She was born in the city of Galilee, Nazareth. Her parents were Joachim of the tribe of the Prophet-King David, and Anna from the tribe of the First Priest Aaron. The couple was without child, since Anna was barren. Having reached old age, Joachim and Anna had strong faith that everything was possible with God.
St. Anne Leading the Virgin to the Temple, c.1635-45
Oil on canvas
Private collection
Jacques Stella (1596 - 29 April 1657), born in
Lyon, was a French painter. His father was François Stella, a painter and
merchant of Flemish origin, but he died too soon to train Jacques in painting.
Stella trained in Lyon before spending the period from 1616 to 1621 in the
court of Cosimo II de Medici in Florence, working alongside Jacques Callot -
Florentine art is a strong influence on all Stella's work. On Cosimo's death in
1621 Stella moved to Rome, where he spent the next 10 years and won a
reputation thanks to his paintings, small engravings and painted work on
stones. Working for pope Urban VIII, Stella was influenced in Rome by
classicism and more specifically by the art of Nicolas Poussin, with whom he
became an intimate friend.
Returning to Lyon in 1634 before moving to Paris a year
later, Stella was presented to Louis XIII by cardinal Richelieu. The king made
him peintre du roi, and granted him a pension of 1000 livres. From 1644 he took
part in the decoration of the Palais-Cardinal. Towards the end of his life he
devoted himself more and more to drawing. He was a major art collector
throughout his life, building a collection of paintings by Poussin and Raphael
and drawings by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. He died in Paris. More on Jacques Stella
Joachim and Anna vowed to dedicate the child which the Lord might give them to the service of God in the Temple.
Unknown artist
Sts. Joachim and Anna bringing their sacrifice to the Temple
I have no further description, at this time
Childlessness was considered as a Divine punishment for sin, and Joachim and Anna had to endure abuse from their own countrymen. On one of the feast days at the Temple, the elderly Joachim brought his sacrifice to offer to God, but the High Priest would not accept it, considering him to be unworthy since he was childless.
Filippino Lippi, 1497
The Meeting of Joachim and Anne Outside the Golden Gate of Jerusalem
Tempera on panel
National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen.
Filippino Lippi, (born c. 1457, Prato, Republic of Florence—died April 18, 1504, Florence) early Renaissance painter of the Florentine school whose works influenced the Tuscan Mannerists of the 16th century. After his father’s death, Filippino entered the workshop of Botticelli. By 1473 he had finished his apprenticeship. The style of Filippino’s earliest works stems from that of Botticelli, but Filippino’s use of line is less sensitive and subtle than Botticelli’s. In a group of paintings executed about 1480–85 he developed a harder and more individual style. Among the most notable works of this period is the Journey of Tobias (above). He was employed, along with Botticelli, Perugino, and Domenico Ghirlandaio, on the frescoed decoration of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s villa at Spedaletto and at the end of 1482 was commissioned to complete work left unfinished by Perugino in the Palazzo della Signoria in Florence. No trace of either work survives. Soon after (probably 1483–84) he was entrusted with the completion of the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel in the Carmine, which had been left unfinished on Masaccio’s death in 1428.
After his return from Rome, Filippino executed a fresco of the Death of Laocoön for the villa of Lorenzo de’ Medici at Poggio a Caiano, in which some of the decorative devices used in the Carafa Chapel are again employed, and resumed work in the Strozzi Chapel (completed 1502), the frescoes of which anticipate Tuscan Mannerism of the 16th century. More on Filippino Lippi
In deep grief, Joachim went into the wilderness, and there he prayed with tears to the Lord for a child. Anna wept bitterly when she learned what had happened at the Temple. Never once did she complain against the Lord, but rather she prayed to ask God’s mercy on her family.
Attributed to Ambrosius Benson and workshop (circa 1495 –1550)
The Conception of the Virgin, circa 1530
The Archangel Gabriel brought Joachim and Anna the message
Oil on canvas
Parish of Santa María in San Llorente de Losa, Burgos
Ambrosius Benson (c. 1495/1500, in Ferrara or Milan] –
1550, in Flanders) was an Italian painter who became a part of the
Northern Renaissance.
While many
surviving paintings have been attributed, there is very little known of him
from records, and he tended not to sign his work. He is believed to be
responsible for mainly religious art, but also painted portraits on commission.
He sometime painted from classical sources, often setting the figures in
modern-dress, or a contemporary domestic setting. In his lifetime he was
successful; he had a large workshop, his work was sold internationally and he
was especially popular in Spain.
Benson became popular as a source for pastiche with
19th-century painters, who are sometimes known as the "followers of
Benson". In particular his many variations of the Magdalen and Sibilla
Persica were further copied and became popular with contemporary buyers. Many
have retained their relative value and held in the National Gallery, London and
command high prices at Sotheby's. More on Ambrosius
Benson
The Archangel Gabriel brought Joachim and Anna the message that their prayers were heard by God, and of them would be born a most blessed daughter, Mary, through Whom would come the Salvation of all the World. The Virgin Mary surpassed in purity and virtue, not only all mankind, but also the angels.
The Nativity of the Theotokos marks the change when the great promises of God for salvation from slavery to the devil were about to be fulfilled. This event brought to earth the Kingdom of God. The Theotokos is revealed to all of us by grace as a merciful Intercessor and Mother, to Whom we have recourse with filial devotion. More on Nativity of the Virgin Mary
Icon
Ink, watercolor, gold leaf
Theophilia: "Although primarily self-taught, I graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2017 with a B.S. degree majoring in Art and minoring in Classical Studies.
In my artwork, I am principally inspired by the traditions of Catholic sacred art, along with the culture, history and art of the Middle Ages. The Catholic theological worldview of the Incarnation elevates humanity and the whole of history into a glorious and epic narrative which fuels my passionate love for religious and historical subjects. I love to work with a variety of materials and art forms. Much of my portfolio consists of icons, landscape paintings, portraits, calligraphy, illuminations, wood-carving, pyrography, graphic novels, poetry, and short stories.
The media I work with the most are ink and watercolors, though I also paint with acrylics. In all my work, I delight in dense ornamentation, bright colors and vivid contrasts between light and dark. I work in a traditional, naturalistic style inspired by the paintings of late nineteenth-century artists, stained-glass windows, and traditional Byzantine and medieval iconography.
I enjoy thoroughly researching my subjects before painting them. In my icons of the saints I try to convey their personality and spirituality through the use of symbolism, while also grounding them in the historical period in which they lived through accurate contemporaneous clothing, hairstyles, etc. The saints are universal and are for all times and places, but I've found that too often in artwork they are abstracted to the point of seeming like nothing more than vague mythological figures. I aspire to create artwork that is a rich blend of theology, historically-grounded realism, symbolism, ornamentation, and transcendent goodness and truth through the beauty of the pieces I create. I want the viewer's eye to be captivated and drawn in so that they are led onward to contemplate the beauty of God and His creatures.
More on Theophilia
Orthodox Christians do not hold to the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, in which it is supposed that Mary was preserved from the ancestral sin that befalls us all as descendents of Adam and Eve, in anticipation of her giving birth to the sinless Christ. The Orthodox believe that Mary indeed received the ancestral sin, having been conceived in the normal way of humanity, and thus needed salvation like all mankind. Orthodox thought does vary on whether Mary actually ever sinned, though there is general agreement that she was cleansed from sin at the Annunciation. More on the Immaculate Conception
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