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Notes
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The stories on this panel describe the conception of the Virgin Mary by her mother Anne. In the upper part we see a man slouched on the ground: Anne’s husband Joachim. His sacrificial offering was rejected at the temple because of his childlessness, so he fled to the hillsides with his sheep. While there, the Angel of the Lord told him that he and Anne would have a child – we see the angel whispering to him as he sleeps. On the hillside, a shepherd plays a pipe and a dog bares his teeth to keep the flock in check. The lower scene shows Mary’s birth. Anne lies in a bed, surrounded by attendants who bring her food and prepare for the birth. These details, including the eggs that a man carries into the room in a basket, come from Byzantine versions of the scene.
Title
Saint Joachim and the Angel; The Birth of the Virgin
Date
1375–1400
Medium
Tempera on wood
Measurements
H 63.8 x W 27.8 cm
Accession number
NG4250.3
Acquisition method
Bequeathed by H.E. Luxmoore, 1927
Work type
Painting
