The Presentation in the Temple: Oblong Print

Rembrandt · c. 1639
National Gallery of Art, Washington

Rembrandt etched this wide temple scene around 1639, some fifteen years before his “dark manner” Presentation, which stands at the same verse. Here light falls freely across a bright floor and a crowded hall; the later print is almost all shadow.

Simeon kneels with the child in his arms, the parents close by, while an old woman with a staff — the prophetess Anna — stands under a burst of light.

From the text

“Simeon took Him in his arms and blessed God” (Luke 2:28)

Anna, a prophetess “well along in years”, who “never left the temple” (Luke 2:36–37)

The artist’s own

A dove in a burst of rays — the usual painters’ sign for the Holy Spirit, whom Luke names here (Luke 2:25–27)

A huge, high hall with worshippers far in the back

A dog sitting on the step at the left

Details

Simeon

The old man kneels on the floor with the child in his arms.

Anna

A veiled old woman stands leaning on a staff.

The dove

A small dove in a burst of rays shines over the group.

The dog

A dog sits on the step, turned away from it all.

Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1606–1669. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.7103) · Etching and drypoint · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)

The verses

Luke 2:25–28Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what was customary under the Law, Simeon took Him in his arms and blessed God, saying:

Luke 2:36–38There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years, and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming forward at that moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.