Filippino Lippi, The meeting of Joachim and Anne outside the Golden Gate of Jerusalem, 1497 by Natasja Tollenaar

About "Filippino Lippi, The meeting of Joachim and Anne outside the Golden Gate of Jerusalem, 1497"

by Natasja Tollenaar

About the artwork

The painting, which belongs to Lippi's mature period, depicts a scene from Jacopo da Voragine's (c. 1230-1298) Legenda Aurea (The Golden Legend).

the motif

We are brought into the story by a young maid whose gaze directly meets ours. Mary's parents are seen in a tender embrace, finally reunited after a long period of separation. Legend tells how Mary was miraculously conceived at the moment of the couple's embrace.

Lippi's interest in classical antiquity

A true Renaissance artist, Lippi was as interested in classical antiquity as Andrea Mantegna (1430/31-1506). In this painting, his interest is evident in e.g. the Corinthian columns and reliefs of e.g. the Golden Gate. The rest of the architecture in the background Lippi painted in a more medieval style, referring to his native Florence, often called the New Jerusalem at the time. Lippi's Florentine roots are also demonstrated in the signature written in gold on the windowsill of the Golden Gate: "PHILIPPINUS DE FLORENTIA".

Filippino Lippi (Prato, 1457 - Florence, 1504) was an Italian painter and draughtsman of the early Renaissance.

In 1488, Lippi moved to Rome where, on the advice of Lorenzo de' Medici, he had been summoned by Oliviero Carafa to undertake the decoration of the family chapel in the Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Lippi completed this fresco cycle in 1493.

Between 1491 and 1494, Lippi returned to Florence where he remained productive until his death in 1503. On the day of his burial, all the workshops in the city ceased operations for a day.