The Apocrypha and the Golden Legend tell how Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, greet each other at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem after the announcement that Anna would give birth. Lippi situated the miracle in a vast landscape, using architectural features to define the foreground space. The quality of light, whether on the pebbles or on the distant city, and the refined facture (unfortunately somewhat compromised by damage) make this one of Lippi's most beautiful narrative scenes. It probably belonged to the predella of an altarpiece painted between 1443 and 1445 for the Benedictine nuns of the convent of Le Murate in Florence. The main panel shows the Annunciation. Fra Carnevale certainly knew this altarpiece, which had just been completed when he joined Lippi's shop. His own landscapes closely reflect works such as this one.

cat. no. 5