Presentation at the Temple (Ambrogio Lorenzetti)
Encyclopedia
The Presentation at the Temple is a painting by the Italian late medieval painter Ambrogio Lorenzetti
, signed and dated 1342, now housed in the Uffizi Gallery of Florence
, Italy. It is one of the largest works by the Italian medieval painter, as well as one of the five which he signed and dated.
by Simone Martini
and Lippo Memmi
, the Nativity of the Virgin
by Pietro Lorenzetti
(1342, Altar of St. Sabinus), and a Nativity, now disassembled, attributed to Bartolomeo Bulgarini from 1351 (altar of St. Victor). All the paintings should represent stories of the Life of the Madonna, and were crowned by Duccio di Buoninsegna's Maestà. The use of expensive lacquer in the paintings and lapis lazuli shows the prestige of the commission.
Two 15th century descriptions mention the work as a triptych
, with two side panels portraying St. Michael Archangel and St. Crescentius Martyr (who held his head in a hand) and, below, a predella
. A century later, artists including Giovanni di Paolo
and Bartolo di Fredi
executed copies of the painting. It was later disassembled and placed in a nunnery in Siena. Grand Duke Ferdinand III of Tuascany
had his transferred to Florence
in 1822. It became part of the Uffizi collection in 1913.
, who is speaking and taking the Child in his arms. At the far left is Joseph, preceded by two women: the latter have no aureola
e, to mark that they have no holy status. At the right is Anna
, accompanied by a Latin cartouche with a citation from the Gospel of Luke
(2:38- And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.)
Behind the altar is a priest with the doves for the sacrifice and, in the left hand, the knife. In front of him a flame is burning on the sacrifice altar. Two other priest are partly visible at his left behind the architectural elements.
The scene is set within church, finely decorated in Gothic style
(somewhat similar to the Cathedral of Siena) with a nave and two aisles, each surmounted by three-foiled ogival arches. Above the priests, within the church, is a triumphal arch
with two angels; they hold a clipeus
with the Blessing Christ. The lunette
s of the aisles show prophets with cartouches, while above the columns in the foreground are depicted two small statues of Moses
, with the table of the Ten Commandments
, and Joshua
, with the Sun in his hand. In the upper part, above the marble intarsia of the arches and frieze with dragons, is a series of angels with a garland.
Finally, the central top arch includes the figures of Moses and Malachi
, who also have cartouches with Latin verses taken from the Bible.
Ambrogio Lorenzetti
Ambrogio Lorenzetti was an Italian painter of the Sienese school. He was active between approximately 1317 to 1348. His elder brother was the painter Pietro Lorenzetti....
, signed and dated 1342, now housed in the Uffizi Gallery of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy. It is one of the largest works by the Italian medieval painter, as well as one of the five which he signed and dated.
History
The painting originally decorated the altar of St. Crescentius in the Cathedral of Siena, and had been commissioned as part of a cycle of four altarpieces dedicated to the city's patrons saints (St. Ansanus, St. Sabinus of Spoleto, St. Crescentius and St. Victor) during 1330-1350. These included the Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. AnsanusAnnunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus
The Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus is a painting by the Italian Gothic artists Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi, now housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. It is a wooden triptych painted in tempera and gold, with a central panel having double size...
by Simone Martini
Simone Martini
Simone Martini was an Italian painter born in Siena.He was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting and greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style....
and Lippo Memmi
Lippo Memmi
Lippo Memmi was an Italian painter from Siena. He was the foremost follower of Simone Martini, who was his brother-in-law....
, the Nativity of the Virgin
Nativity of the Virgin (Pietro Lorenzetti)
The Nativity of the Virgin is a painting by the Italian late medieval painter Pietro Lorenzetti, dating from around 1335-1342, now housed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo of Siena, Italy.-History:The painting originally decorated the altar of St...
by Pietro Lorenzetti
Pietro Lorenzetti
Pietro Lorenzetti was an Italian painter, active between approximately 1306 and 1345. His younger brother was the painter Ambrogio Lorenzetti....
(1342, Altar of St. Sabinus), and a Nativity, now disassembled, attributed to Bartolomeo Bulgarini from 1351 (altar of St. Victor). All the paintings should represent stories of the Life of the Madonna, and were crowned by Duccio di Buoninsegna's Maestà. The use of expensive lacquer in the paintings and lapis lazuli shows the prestige of the commission.
Two 15th century descriptions mention the work as a triptych
Triptych
A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
, with two side panels portraying St. Michael Archangel and St. Crescentius Martyr (who held his head in a hand) and, below, a predella
Predella
A predella is the platform or step on which an altar stands . In painting, the predella is the painting or sculpture along the frame at the bottom of an altarpiece...
. A century later, artists including Giovanni di Paolo
Giovanni di Paolo
Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia was an Italian painter, working primarily in Siena. He may have apprenticed with Taddeo di Bartolo, becoming a prolific painter and illustrator of manuscripts, including Dante's texts....
and Bartolo di Fredi
Bartolo di Fredi
Bartolo di Fredi , sometimes called Bartolo Battiloro, was an Italian painter, born in Siena, classified as a member of the Sienese School....
executed copies of the painting. It was later disassembled and placed in a nunnery in Siena. Grand Duke Ferdinand III of Tuascany
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1790 to 1801 and, after a period of disenfranchisement, again from 1814 to 1824. He was also the Prince-elector and Grand Duke of Salzburg and Grand Duke of Würzburg .-Biography:Ferdinand was born in Florence, Tuscany, into the...
had his transferred to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in 1822. It became part of the Uffizi collection in 1913.
Description
The painting depicts the presentation at the temple, an event which, according to the Hebraic Law, should occur forty days after a child's birth, to allow the mother to purify herself. Within two central, slender columns are the Madonna (holding the cloth in which the Child was kept), The Child (with moving feet and a finger in the mouth), and Simeon the RighteousSimeon the Righteous
Simeon is the "just and devout" man of Jerusalem who, according to , met the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as they entered the Temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses on the 40th day from Jesus' birth.According to the Biblical account,...
, who is speaking and taking the Child in his arms. At the far left is Joseph, preceded by two women: the latter have no aureola
Aureola
An aureola or aureole is the radiance of luminous cloud which, in paintings of sacred personages, surrounds the whole figure...
e, to mark that they have no holy status. At the right is Anna
Anna (Bible)
Anna or Anna the Prophetess was a biblical figure mentioned only in the Gospel of Luke. According to that Gospel, she was an aged Jewish prophetess who prophesied about Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem. She appears in in the episode of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple.While Luke gave some...
, accompanied by a Latin cartouche with a citation from the Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
(2:38- And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.)
Behind the altar is a priest with the doves for the sacrifice and, in the left hand, the knife. In front of him a flame is burning on the sacrifice altar. Two other priest are partly visible at his left behind the architectural elements.
The scene is set within church, finely decorated in Gothic style
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
(somewhat similar to the Cathedral of Siena) with a nave and two aisles, each surmounted by three-foiled ogival arches. Above the priests, within the church, is a triumphal arch
Triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat entablature or attic on which a statue might be...
with two angels; they hold a clipeus
Clipeus
In the military of classical antiquity, a clipeus was a large shield worn by the Greeks and Romans as a piece of defensive armor, which they carried upon the arm, to secure them from the blows of their enemies...
with the Blessing Christ. The lunette
Lunette
In architecture, a lunette is a half-moon shaped space, either filled with recessed masonry or void. A lunette is formed when a horizontal cornice transects a round-headed arch at the level of the imposts, where the arch springs. If a door is set within a round-headed arch, the space within the...
s of the aisles show prophets with cartouches, while above the columns in the foreground are depicted two small statues of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, with the table of the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
, and Joshua
Joshua
Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
, with the Sun in his hand. In the upper part, above the marble intarsia of the arches and frieze with dragons, is a series of angels with a garland.
Finally, the central top arch includes the figures of Moses and Malachi
Malachi
Malachi, Malachias or Mal'achi was a Jewish prophet in the Hebrew Bible. He had two brothers, Nathaniel and Josiah. Malachi was the writer of the Book of Malachi, the last book of the Neviim section in the Jewish Tanakh...
, who also have cartouches with Latin verses taken from the Bible.