| Two brief discussions of subjects of Cretan church iconography. The first concerns the lamentation of Anne and Joachim in the church of Our Lady of Kritsa. The scene of the “Dwelling of Ss Anne and Joachim” is presented in the south aisle dedicated to St Anne and forms part of the cycle of the Life of the Virgin. It is suggested that this is a depiction of the lamentation of Anne and Joachim following the rejection of their offerings by the high priest, a scene unknown in Byzantine art and very rare in the West. The second note connects the scene of the Admiration of the Virgin, as it is depicted in Our Lady of Kritsa and the church of Valsamonero Monastery, with similar scenes of the “Northern School” from Serbia and Macedonia. |