The Presentation in the Temple: Oblong Print

c. 1639

Rembrandt van Rijn

Associated Names
Rembrandt van Rijn

Artist, Dutch, 1606 - 1669

The image shows a gathering of people in an interior setting. Several individuals are standing, clustered around a central figure kneeling and presenting a swaddled child. The central person has a beard and long robe, kneeling on the ground, focused on the child. Other individuals in the scene have distinct facial features, with headpieces and various facial hair styles among the men. The clothing is elaborate, with flowing robes and detailed textures. Many figures appear to be observing or gesturing towards the child. An animal, potentially a dog, sits in the lower-left corner. Overhead, a bird-like figure surrounded by a radiant light is depicted near the top center. The background suggests an interior space with heavy shadows, creating a sense of depth, while the architecture is defined by archways or curved surfaces.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and drypoint

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.7103

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    White/Boon 1969, no. 49, State ii/iii

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Rudolf Peltzer [1825-1910], Cologne (Lugt 2231); Lessing Julius Rosenwald (Lugt 1760b); given to the National Gallery of Art 1943

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1930

  • Prints and Drawings by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) from the Collections of Lessing J. Rosenwald, Pennsylvania Museum of Art, 1930.

  • Rembrandt Etchings: Lent by Mr. Lessing J. Rosenwald, Philadelphia Art Alliance, 1930.

1932

  • Etchings by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) from the Collections of Lessing J. Rosenwald, Sears, Roebuck, and Co. Art Galleries, Washington, D.C., 1932.

1946

  • The Life of Christ as Depicted in the Etchings of Rembrandt, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1946, no cat.

1971

  • A Selection of 17th Century Intaglio Prints from the National Gallery of Art, Rosenwald Collection, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, 1971-1972, no. 27.

1972

  • Western Maryland College, Westminster, 1972.

2006

  • Strokes of Genius: Rembrandt's Prints and Drawings, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

2012

  • The Baroque Genius of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C., 2012

Bibliography

1923

  • Hind, Arthur M. A Catalogue of Rembrandt's Etchings. London: Methuen and Co. Ltd., 1923.

1969

  • White, Christopher and Karel G. Boon. Rembrandt's Etchings. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Van Gendt & Co., 1969.

1993

  • The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts, 1450-1700. Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1993: no. 184, ii?/v.

Wikidata ID

Q65024532

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