Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Fra Bartolomeo)

Presentation of Christ in the Temple - GG 207 - Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna

The Presentation of Christ in the Temple is a painting by the Italian painter Fra Bartolomeo . It shows how the Virgin Mary portrays her son Jesus in the temple , and how the priest Simeon recognizes the Savior of mankind in the Child Jesus. The painter captured the moment from Luke 2:34 when Simeon said to Mary: Behold, this is set for the fall and resurrection of many in Israel.

The painting was painted on poplar wood and is dated 1516. Acquired by Grand Duke Leopoldo of Tuscany in 1781, it was exchanged from Florence to Vienna in 1792 and is on display in the Kunsthistorisches Museum . Its dimensions are 155 cm × 159 cm and the frame dimensions are 190.5 cm × 195.4 cm × 10 cm. The strong color chords are partly broken by blurring the contours ( sfumato ).

The group of figures stands on a staircase, on the bottom step of which the inscription 1516 ORATE PRO PICTORE OLIM SACELLI HUIUS NOVITIO can be seen, which makes it clear that the painter, a Dominican monk, painted the altarpiece for the monastery of San Marco in Florence and is praying for him to pray.

Simeon wears red clothes, which is usually a sign of passion . He seems to be speaking to the Virgin Mary while he is giving the child back to her, his look is sad. However, in other depictions of Christ's offering in the temple , Simeon looks at the baby Jesus as if reading his mind.

Web links

Commons : Presentation of Jesus Christ at the Temple by Fra Bartolomeo - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Entry in the museum database

Individual evidence

↑ Welleda Muller: Representations of elderly people in the scenes of Jesus' childhood in Tuscan paintings, 14th-16th centuries Images of inter-generational relationships . Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle up on Tyne 2016, ISBN 978-1-4438-9277-3 , pp. 35 .
^ Henry Turner Bailey: The Great Painters' Gospel. Pictures Representing Scenes and Incidents in the Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ . Good Press, December 6, 2019 ( google.de [accessed July 12, 2020]).
↑ Presentation of Christ in the Temple. In: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien . Retrieved July 12, 2020 .
↑ Welleda Muller: Representations of elderly people in the scenes of Jesus' childhood in Tuscan paintings, 14th-16th centuries. Immges of intergenerational relationships . Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle up on Tyne 2016, ISBN 978-1-4438-9277-3 , pp. 35 .

[:02-1] Welleda Muller: Representations of elderly people in the scenes of Jesus' childhood in Tuscan paintings, 14th-16th centuries Images of inter-generational relationships . Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle up on Tyne 2016, ISBN 978-1-4438-9277-3 , pp. 35 .

[2] Henry Turner Bailey: The Great Painters' Gospel. Pictures Representing Scenes and Incidents in the Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ . Good Press, December 6, 2019 ( google.de [accessed July 12, 2020]).

[3] Presentation of Christ in the Temple. In: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien . Retrieved July 12, 2020 .

[4] Welleda Muller: Representations of elderly people in the scenes of Jesus' childhood in Tuscan paintings, 14th-16th centuries. Immges of intergenerational relationships . Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle up on Tyne 2016, ISBN 978-1-4438-9277-3 , pp. 35 .