The Presentation in the Temple
Medium
pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, and black chalk, heightened with white paint; framing lines in pen and brown ink
Dimensions
sheet: 32.3 × 20 cm · framed: 66 × 50.9 × 6.4 cm
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Leonard C. Hanna Jr.
Accession Number
1925.1005
Tags
About this artwork
Late in his career, François Boucher adopted a drawing style characterized by strong pen lines and loosely brushed washes. This sheet, which dates from that period, depicts the blind priest Simeon, at left, who was promised that he would see the Messiah before his death. When the Christ child was brought into the temple near him, Simeon regained his sight. Boucher emphasized the miraculous event by showing divine light streaming down onto the priest from the dove above, which represents the Holy...