Saint Anne Wept Simulated Tears

What is it about?

Chapter 6 in the volume Sacred Medieval Objects and Their Afterlives in Scandinavia centres on a polychromed sculptural group that depicts Saint Anne with the Virgin and Child. This object is owned by the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, and can be categorized with depictions of Christ’s human lineage and the Holy Family. But this group is unlike other surviving examples because the figure of Saint Anne was designed to weep. A reservoir carved into Anne’s head could hold roughly a half litre of liquid that would flow through the channels at the corners of Anne’s eyes, to deliver tears that rolled down her cheeks. This simulated weeping was an essential function of this sculptural group, which was meant to inspire universally human responses to tears that in turn encouraged intense contemplation on the suffering of Christ.

Featured Image

Photo by Tom Caillarec on Unsplash

Photo by Tom Caillarec on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Although this object can in no way perform its original functions, it can offer a window onto late medieval piety. Understanding how Saint Anne performed for an audience, how her image spurred extreme emotion and how it offered cues for reflection are keys to understanding the many reasons why so few images of this sort survived the Protestant Reformation.