Bicci's Madonna and Child with St. Anne and Angels is based on Masaccio's Sant'Anna Metterza in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The original location of this painting is unknown, but it is believed that it was painted for a Florentine church because the Florentines honored Saint Anne by putting her third in the hierarchy of the Holy Family, like she is in this painting. The painting is still in its original 14th century immaculate frame (Bob Jones Museum).
The painting shows a series of pyramids with Saint Anne forming the outer. Mary forms the middle pyramid and her arm and baby Jesus forms the inner pyramid. There are two angels, one of the left and one of the right, who are standing behind the throne that holds the three subjects. Saint Anne is the largest figure in the painting, taking up most of the picture plane. Her daughter Mary fits in her lap at an unnatural size for an adult. Perhaps this represents the mother daughter relationship and emphasizes Saint Anne's importance. Mary is holding the baby Jesus in her lap and the two are holding hands. Baby Jesus is not painted to look like a real baby and instead looks like a miniature adult.
The colors in the painting are unsaturated. Saint Anne and Mary are dressed in the traditional red and blue colors that are religious symbols. Gold fills in negative space around Saint Anne and in the background and also makes up the halos in the painting. The angels are dressed in a much muted green. There is some greenish color behind the throne on which the three are sitting. Perhaps it is curtains or something on the wall in the background. The angels' wings are red instead of the usual white. The skin of all the figures is very pale, like ivory, and almost matches the white in the throne that they are sitting in. The visible hair of Mary and baby Jesus is closer to a golden blonde than the more traditional brown. No deep or vivid color is used and the color palette is very limited.
The painting shows a series of pyramids with Saint Anne forming the outer. Mary forms the middle pyramid and her arm and baby Jesus forms the inner pyramid. There are two angels, one of the left and one of the right, who are standing behind the throne that holds the three subjects. Saint Anne is the largest figure in the painting, taking up most of the picture plane. Her daughter Mary fits in her lap at an unnatural size for an adult. Perhaps this represents the mother daughter relationship and emphasizes Saint Anne's importance. Mary is holding the baby Jesus in her lap and the two are holding hands. Baby Jesus is not painted to look like a real baby and instead looks like a miniature adult.
The colors in the painting are unsaturated. Saint Anne and Mary are dressed in the traditional red and blue colors that are religious symbols. Gold fills in negative space around Saint Anne and in the background and also makes up the halos in the painting. The angels are dressed in a much muted green. There is some greenish color behind the throne on which the three are sitting. Perhaps it is curtains or something on the wall in the background. The angels' wings are red instead of the usual white. The skin of all the figures is very pale, like ivory, and almost matches the white in the throne that they are sitting in. The visible hair of Mary and baby Jesus is closer to a golden blonde than the more traditional brown. No deep or vivid color is used and the color palette is very limited.
This painting is stored in the Bob Jones Art Museum in Greenville, SC.
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