Holy Family with St. Anne and St. Joachim

Before an altar radiant with celestial light, Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, holds a cluster of grapes symbolizing fertility. In the foreground, Mary sits with the Christ Child, and standing to the right is Joachim, the husband of Anne. The figure behind the column at the left is Joseph, the husband of Mary, his somewhat hidden position fitting as Christ's earthly father. Above the group is the figure of God the Father seated in majesty, holding the orb and cross which signify that Christ will rule the world. The texts about Anne and Joachim are apocryphal, and not recorded in the Bible, though the story of Hannah in the First Book of Samuel is a possible source for the legend. The artist of this unusual work has not been identified; however, the elaborate architectural setting and elegantly proportioned figures suggest that it was painted in Bruges.