A Masterly Hand / Scientia Artis 9

11.6 a 11.6 b 11.6 c Unlike the previous three statues of St Anne, this one has not been hollowed out at the back (fig. 11.6b). The heart of the stem is visible on Anne’s right arm and Mary’s left arm but lower down it falls just outside the statue at the back. No dendrochronological analysis has been carried out. At the bottom there are traces of a fork-system workbench consisting of square holes which seem to occur in pairs (fig. 11. 6c). 19 It is, however, difficult to determine exactly which holes form a pair. Conclusion Material and technical similarities between the four statues of St Anne with the Virgin and Child are the use of local oak and the production of each sculp- ture from a single block with only a few mostly small additions. The similarity in size and the choice of wood used for the Elsloo and Rindern sculptures is noteworthy. The treatment of the backs of the works differs considerably, Fig. 11.6 St Anne with the Virgin and Child, Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv. BK-NM-1278 a Front b Back c Underside with traces of workbench clamps