Saint Anne with the Virgin

Saint Anne and Mary
Greek: Η Αγία Αννα με την Παναγία, Italian: Sant'Anna e Maria
Artist	Angelos Akotantos
Year	c. 1425–1457
Medium	tempera on wood
Movement	Cretan School
Subject	The Virgin Mary held by her mother Anne
Dimensions	106 cm × 76 cm (41.73 in × 29.9 in)
Location	Benaki Museum, Athens
Owner	Benaki Museum
Website	Icon of St Anne with the Virgin

Saint Anne with the Virgin is a tempera painting attributed to the Greek painter Angelos Akotantos. Angelos Akotantos is one of the founding members of the Cretan School along with Andreas Ritzos, Andreas Pavias, and Nikolaos Tzafouris. Angelos Akotantos was active during the first half of the 15th century. According to the Institute of Neohellenic Research, fifty paintings are attributed to Angelos Akotantos.^[1]

Angelos was extremely educated and owned a valuable library. He was a chanter and teacher of music; the Venetian authorities appointed him protopsaltis (first chanter), an honorable position carrying a government salary. He also taught painting; some of his students were Andreas Pavias, Andreas Ritzos, Antonios Papadopoulos, and Nikolaos Tzafouris. His works have been copied for over five hundred years.^[2]

Greek painters continued the tradition of emulating the Byzantine masters. The Italian painters adopted oil painting opposing the egg tempera technique. Giorgio Vasari's famous book Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects commented on the technique. Vasari coined the phrase maniera greca. By the mid-1500s the style was considered the maniera greca. It was one of the first post-classical European terms for style in art.^[3] Angelos's Saint Anne with the Virgin and The Virgin Eleousa were the most copied paintings. The original Saint Anne with the Virgin is at the Benaki Museum in Athens.^[4][5]