Description
This loosely painted sketch is the preliminary design for an altarpiece in the Church of Saint Ulrich, Vienna. Mary and Joseph have brought the infant Jesus to the temple to be inducted into the Jewish faith; the aged priest Simeon cradles the infant in his arms, turning his gaze to heaven as he realizes that he is holding the Son of God. Strong contrasts of light and shadow underscore the drama of the moment.
The frame is not original to this painting, but was made by an Austrian craftsman in the mid-1700s. Its florid style suits Maulbertsch’s flickering brushwork, and reflects the tradition of wood sculpture from Central Europe seen in other objects in the CMA's collection.
The frame is not original to this painting, but was made by an Austrian craftsman in the mid-1700s. Its florid style suits Maulbertsch’s flickering brushwork, and reflects the tradition of wood sculpture from Central Europe seen in other objects in the CMA's collection.
Provenance
Count Gyula Andrássy, Budapest; Countess F. K., London (granddaughter of Count Gyula Andrássy); Franz Szabó, London; Judith Szabó, London; Count Gyula Andrássy, Budapest;; Countess F. K., London (granddaughter of Count Gyula Andrássy);; Franz Szabó, London;; Judith Szabó, London, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1963.
Study for "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple" (for Saint Ulrich, Vienna)
c. 1750
Accession Number
1963.326
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
Framed: 90 x 70 x 9 cm (35 7/16 x 27 9/16 x 3 9/16 in.); Unframed: 69.5 x 52.3 cm (27 3/8 x 20 9/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
