She may gesture with one or both hands. She may look into the text, or at Mary, or she may look away, possibly at the viewer, possibly into the distance, as though in contemplation. Haddon Hall Window Positions of Anne and Mary . St. Anne might stand behind Mary or they may stand facing one another. Mary in her childhood always stands at her lesson.
Body contact is extensive.
Anne may embrace or shelter Mary, as a protectress. When Anne is seated and Mary stands beside her, Mary usually leans against Anne's lap. The text . Christian iconography commonly represents saints with a book. It is not a discriminating attribute.