Sainte Anne and the three Maries 

Jean Fouquet made this painting of Sainte Anne and the three Maries sometime in the 15th century in France. It's a window into the intertwined worlds of religion, family, and social hierarchy. Fouquet depicts Saint Anne with her daughters in a garden setting, maybe a kind of idealised space where dynastic succession can be divinely planned. The figures are dressed in contemporary clothing, which was common at the time, grounding these religious figures in the here and now. This grounds the sacred in the social. The coats-of-arms at the bottom suggest a commission by a noble family, keen to align themselves with holy lineage. Consider the place of the church in medieval society, how it shaped beliefs, behaviors, and social structures. Fouquet's painting isn't just a devotional image; it reflects the values and ambitions of its patrons. To truly understand a work like this, we delve into historical records, family genealogies, and religious treatises. The meaning of art is always shaped by its specific social and institutional context.