Madonna and Child with Saint Anne

Madonna and Child with Saint Anne , painted around 1605–1606 , depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child crushing a serpent in the presence of Saint Anne. Mary bends forward as she places her foot upon the serpent and guides the Child, who actively participates in defeating it. The action symbolizes the triumph over sin and forms the physical and theological centre of the composition.

Saint Anne stands behind them, partly enveloped in darkness. Caravaggio contrasts her old age with Mary's monumental youth and the striking naturalism of the naked Child. Dramatic illumination, physical proximity and the absence of overt celestial elements give the sacred scene an extraordinary sense of immediacy. The serpent is the centre of an action joining two bodies.