Saint Anne Teaching the Virgin 1906

Editor: We’re looking at “Saint Anne Teaching the Virgin” by Timothy Cole, created in 1906. It’s a wood engraving on paper, held here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I'm struck by its stillness; it feels very intimate and…well, sacred. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Sacred is a good word, actually! Cole’s print breathes new life into a very classic Renaissance theme, full of gentle humanity. Consider the lines - etched meticulously, mind you! They're not just depicting figures, but a lineage, a passing down of knowledge...and a little bit of divine destiny, wouldn't you say? Editor: Divine destiny… because it’s Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary? Is it the religious aspect that made Cole choose this subject? Curator: Partially, perhaps. But Cole, see, he wasn't creating a new image so much as he was acting as a conduit, painstakingly recreating a masterwork through wood engraving. It's like whispering a secret through generations, each artist interpreting the message anew. A challenge, maybe a reverence towards tradition? Editor: That's interesting – so it's less about original creation and more about…reinterpretation? The passing down of artistic skill? Curator: Exactly! Think of the patience, the sheer discipline it takes to translate brushstrokes into precise lines on wood! What resonates most profoundly? The piety? The skill? Or, like the Renaissance itself, the act of *reviving* the old to illuminate the new? It's a loving conversation between eras. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. Now I see this wood engraving as not just a devotional image, but almost a historical document. Thanks! Curator: It’s like we're peeking into the artistic conversation that is *always* happening!