The Presentation in the Temple
c. 1720/1724
Medium
pen and brown ink with brown wash, heightened with white gouache on blue-green laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 28 × 21.8 cm (11 × 8 9/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Joseph F. McCrindle Endowment Fund
Accession Number
2020.135.1
Art Historical Context
In the serene glow of *The Presentation in the Temple Paolo Gerolamo Pi captures a pivotal biblical moment from the Gospel Luke: Mary and Joseph offering the infant Jesus at the Jerusalem Temple, where the prophet Simeon recognizes him as the Messiah. Created around 1720–1724, this drawing exemplifies the Genoese artist's late Baroque style, blending dramatic religious narrative with fluid, expressive lines inherited from his family's artistic dynasty—his father, Domenico Piola, was a leading figure in Genoa's vibrant 17th-century scene. Piola's masterful technique shines through pen and brow...