St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, is not mentioned in the New Testament. Her name appears for the first time in the Protevangelium of James, an apocryphal gospel of the second century. Anne was married to Joachim, she loved and respected her husband, but they were both deeply unhappy as they were childless. Once an angel appeared to Anne and said that she would give birth to a daughter, Mary. When Anne laughed bitterly in disbelief, the angel asked her to come next day to the Golden Gate, where as proof of his prophesy she was to meet her husband.
The scene of Anne’s meeting with her husband, Joachim, at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem is most often shown in fine arts. The painters of the Renaissance liked to portray Anne with her daughter, the Virgin Mary, and the Infant. Another popular subject - Anne is teaching her daughter, Mary, to read.
Feast day: July 26 (with St. Joachim); July 25 in the East.