The St. Anne Metterza is a collaborative artwork created by Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale around 1424-1425. It is a painting depicting the Madonna and Child with St. Anne and can be found in the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy. Measuring 175 x 103 cm, the figure of St. Anne is believed to have been executed by Masolino while the other angels were done by Masaccio.
This artwork reflects the traditional Florentine reverence to the cult of Saint Anne and showcases Masaccio’s involvement in the new humanist movement in Florence. The figures portrayed in the painting have been of interest to artists up to the present day, with works like Fred Tomaselli’s Expulsion referencing them. The altarpiece has been in the Uffizi since 1919 and the figures of the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus are reminiscent of ancient Roman statues.
Masaccio’s ability to imitate nature and create lifelike figures was highly regarded during his time and earned him the title of the best painter in his generation by Vasari. Despite his promising talent, little information is known about the exact circumstances of his death at the young age of twenty-six.
