The Presentation in the Temple
- Artist: Peter Paul Rubens
- Date: 1611-13
- Medium: oil on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "The Presentation in the Temple" by Peter Paul Rubens. Painted between 1611 and 1613, this oil on panel altarpiece was commissioned for a side chapel in Antwerp Cathedral. Rubens created preparatory studies—like the ones on display—to shape the dramatic composition and likely to get his patrons—who were a guild with a special devotion to Saint Christopher—on board before committing to the full piece. The triptych depicts three biblical moments all revolving around the body of Christ. In the left panel, a pregnant Mary cradles the infant, the tender, almost maternal care reflecting the early promise. The right panel shows the priest Simeon, soon after Jesus’ birth, holding the child in reverence, echoing the “Christ‑bearer” theme that ties back to Christopher. The centre is the most emotionally charged: figures lower a lifeless Christ from the cross, and the Virgin, dressed in blue, reaches out toward her son. Even in the face of deep grief, Rubens renders Christ’s form with a quiet grace, a testament to his mastery of light and gesture. The overall effect is a cohesive narrative that intertwines the sorrow of the crucifixion with the hope of the incarnation, all wrapped in Rubens’ exuberant, Baroque energy.
See it in person
The Presentation in the Temple hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
