Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne (also called the Sant'Anna Metterza) is a collaborative work by Masaccio and Masolino, painted around 1424-1425 for the church of Sant'Ambrogio in Florence. The painting shows the Virgin and Child seated on Saint Anne's lap, with attending angels. Art historians generally attribute the central group of the Virgin and Child to Masaccio and the surrounding figures and the Saint Anne to Masolino, though the division of hands remains debated. The painting is in the Uffizi Gallery and demonstrates the fruitful but contrasting partnership between the innovative Masaccio and the more conservative Masolino.

The collaboration reveals a striking stylistic contrast — Masaccio's Virgin and Child are modeled with powerful three-dimensionality and physical weight, while Masolino's Saint Anne and angels show the flatter, more decorative approach of the International Gothic tradition. The spatial inconsistency between the two artists' contributions is visible but does not destroy the overall compositional unity. The rich tempera palette and gold background demonstrate refined panel painting technique.