Saint Anne Teaching the Virgin to Read
Pedro José Díaz, Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru, 1797
Signed and dated in the lower left corner, 1797
Oil on canvas
61.5 × 50 cm; 80.5 × 69.5 cm (framed)
Saint Anne guides her daughter through the pages of an open book. The young Virgin leans towards the sacred text, her blue mantle and rose-coloured dress set against Anne’s more...
Saint Anne guides her daughter through the pages of an open book. The young Virgin leans towards the sacred text, her blue mantle and rose-coloured dress set against Anne’s more restrained garments. An oval architectural surround frames the encounter, while the stars around Mary’s head signal her exceptional destiny.
Signed and dated in Lima in 1797, the painting is an intimate example of Pedro José Díaz’s religious production. Sofía Fernández’s study explores the exchange of gestures and light between mother and daughter, and the significance of female education in a society where literacy remained a privilege. The tenderness of the scene brings together instruction, devotion and Mary’s early spiritual vocation.