A priest in white at the top of the steps, with the child brought to him.
Bible in art · Luke
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (La présentation de Jésus au Temple)
James Tissot · 1886–1894
Brooklyn Museum, New York
Tissot built his Temple from what he had studied in Jerusalem and from reconstructions of his day: striped stone walls in red and white, green columns with gilded tops, and a broad flight of steps.
At the top, by the doors, the child is brought to a priest in white while women in veils wait on the steps. In the foreground a woman in a striped mantle stands with both arms spread, and old men crowd at the right to watch.
From the text
- His parents bring Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (Luke 2:22)
- The offering of “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:24)
The artist’s own
- The Temple’s red-and-white striped masonry and gilded columns
- A crowd of onlookers on the steps
Details
At the doors
Arms spread
A woman in a striped mantle and white veil stands with her arms open.
Onlookers
Bearded old men gather at the right of the steps.
The building
Green columns with gilded capitals and striped walls.
James Tissot, French, 1836–1902. Brooklyn Museum, New York (Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.27) · Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper · Brooklyn Museum (Commons file page, «Permission»): "This image was uploaded by the Brooklyn Museum as a content partnership, and is considered to have no known copyright restrictions by the institutions of the Brooklyn Museum." — "No known copyright restrictions".