This oil on canvas depicting The Holy Family with Saints Anne and Joachim -the work of an unknown and mediocre 17th-century author – comes from the church of Madonna delle Grazie in Lipari where, as early as 1681, there was reported to be an altar dedicated precisely to the mother of the Virgin Mary.
Seated in the foreground are St. Anne, holding the Child in her arms and holding a bird in her blessing hand, and the Virgin Mary. Behind them St. Joseph and St. Joachim observe the scene along with two angels bearing small fronds with red fruits, perhaps an allusion to original sin or passion. In the upper register on the left are three cherubs in flight, while on the right – against the dark background – a large grated window is visible behind a gathered curtain.
