Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 64, The Wolfson Gallery

The Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Print
1505-1506 (engraved)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The is an engraving which copies a woodcut. Both engravings and woodcuts are types of prints but they are created in different ways. This is also an example of an Italian artist copying the work of a German one. Not only has the Italian artist copied the German artist’s composition, he has even copied the German artist’s initials, AD, which can be seen on a small placard hanging from a hook low down on the column on the left. AD stands for Albrecht Dürer and Dürer is reported to have been infuriated by what he saw as theft of his ideas and his identity.

Set in the temple in Jerusalem, this print shows Mary and Joseph who have brought the infant Jesus there to be consecrated to the Lord. At the same time a pair of birds in the cage held by the kneeling attendant, are being offered to the high priest as part of a Jewish rite “purifying” the mother after the birth of a child.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Presentation of Christ in the Temple (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Engraving on paper
Brief description
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi after a woodcut by Dürer
Physical description
Engraving of the Presentation in the Temple by Marcantonio Raimondi copying a woodcut by Albrecht Dürer.
Dimensions
  • Cut to height: 29.2cm
  • Cut to width: 20.9cm
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • AD in monogram (This monogram on a tablet hanging from a column in the foreground is that of Albrecht Dürer. This engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi copies a woodcut by that artist. Raimondi even copied Dürer's monogram much to the latter's reported anger.)
  • II (Numbered thus, at the bottom of the sheet in the centre, signifying the 11th scene in the total of twenty which make up Dürer's 'The Life of the Virgin'.)
Gallery label
THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE The image originated in a woodcut by the German artist Albrecht Dürer. His prints reached a wide audience and elements of their designs were incorporated into different media, especially in Italy. However, Dürer did not appreciate Marcantonio Raimondi copying his monogram and complained to the Venetian authorities. When the unknown painter from Faenza modified Dürer's design for his dish [C.159-1937], he used figures from another of Dürer's prints to fill in the spaces at the sides. Engraving on paper based on the woodcut 1505-6 Marcantonio Raimondi (about 1480-1534) Italy Museum no. 26127:11
Historical context
See E. 698-1940 for the woodcut which this engraving copies.

According to Vasari writing in 1568, Dürer travelled to Venice with the express purpose of taking legal action against Marcantonio Raimondi for selling forgeries of his work, but he was only able to obtain agreement that he could not use his monogram. Raimondi did not use Dürer's monogram on his later copies of Dürer's prints.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Literary referenceThe Bible, Luke 2:22-39
Summary
The is an engraving which copies a woodcut. Both engravings and woodcuts are types of prints but they are created in different ways. This is also an example of an Italian artist copying the work of a German one. Not only has the Italian artist copied the German artist’s composition, he has even copied the German artist’s initials, AD, which can be seen on a small placard hanging from a hook low down on the column on the left. AD stands for Albrecht Dürer and Dürer is reported to have been infuriated by what he saw as theft of his ideas and his identity.

Set in the temple in Jerusalem, this print shows Mary and Joseph who have brought the infant Jesus there to be consecrated to the Lord. At the same time a pair of birds in the cage held by the kneeling attendant, are being offered to the high priest as part of a Jewish rite “purifying” the mother after the birth of a child.
Bibliographic reference
Bartsch, Adam von. Le peintre graveur. Vienna, 1803-1821. no 406.
Collection
Accession number
26127:11

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Record createdNovember 23, 2006
Record URL
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