Ceiling Design with the Presentation in the Temple
1647–1726
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, highlighted with white, over traces of black chalk, on blue-gray paper
Dimensions
20-3/4 x 16-1/4 in. (52.7 x 41.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1955
Accession Number
55.628.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
Gregorio de' Ferrari (1647–1726), a prominent Genoese artist known for his frescoes and architectural illusions, created this dynamic *Ceiling Design with the Presentation in the Temple The drawing depicts the biblical scene from Luke 2:22–38, where the Virgin Mary and Joseph present the Jesus to the priest Simeon in the Temple, a moment rich with themes of redemption and prophecy. Rendered in 1680s–90s style, it captures swirling figures in foreshortened poses, evoking the grandeur of overhead frescoes typical of Italian church ceilings. Executed in pen and brown ink with brush and brown was...