Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne or Madonna and Child with Saint Anne is a subject in Christian art showing Saint Anne with her daughter, the Virgin Mary, and her grandson Jesus. This depiction has been popular in Germany and neighboring countries since the 14th century.

Names for this particular subject in other languages include:

The relationship of St. Anne to the immaculate conception of her daughter is not explicit, but her mystical participation is implied in the nested framing of her embrace of her virgin daughter embracing her divine grandson. This should not be confused with the perpetual virginity of Mary or the virgin birth of Jesus. Although the belief was widely held since at least Late Antiquity, the doctrine was not formally proclaimed until December 8, 1854 when it was dogmatically defined in the Western Latin Rite by Pope Pius IX via his papal bull, Ineffabilis Deus. It was never explicitly so in the Eastern churches; see discussion on dogma below.

Similar works featuring mother and daughter resemble that of the Throne of Wisdom, a pairing of mother and daughter known as the . The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne is distinct from the triangular composition featuring the infant Jesus yet relates the same mystery: an open book represents the immanence of Logos or Incarnate Word at all times in time and space, even before his Nativity. A trinitarian action of grace is implied: creator Father, redeemer Son, reflexive procession of the Holy Spirit (indicated by the vertically-tiered arrangement with Christ pointing back at his mother and grandmother.

...
Wikipedia