Artwork
The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple
The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Paolo di Giovanni Fei. It dates from 1398 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, a religious narrative illustrating the young Mary being brought to the temple by her parents.
The painting depicts the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, a religious narrative illustrating the young Mary being brought to the temple by her parents. Commissioned in 1398 for the chapel of San Pietro in Siena Cathedral, the work functions as an altarpiece within a sacred architectural setting. The composition is framed by three arches, a structural element that echoes Pietro Lorenzetti's earlier altarpiece of the Birth of the Virgin, also created for the same cathedral.
This visual continuity reinforces the theological connection between Mary's birth and her dedication to the temple. As a religious genre piece, the work serves to honor the Virgin Mary's early life and her consecration to God, reflecting the devotional priorities of late 14th-century Sienese art.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1398, this religious panel utilizes tempera as its primary medium. The work was originally created on a wood support, which has subsequently been transferred to hardboard. Stylistically, the painting features a heavy frame surmounted by three arches, a structural composition comparable to Pietro Lorenzetti's 1342 altarpiece for the Siena Cathedral.
This architectural framing device integrates the painted scene within a defined, multi-arched boundary, characteristic of Sienese altarpieces of the period.
History & Provenance
The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple was commissioned in 1398 for the chapel of San Pietro in Siena Cathedral, where it remained at least until 1482; its removal likely occurred between 1580 and 1582, when a new altar was installed. The work passed to H. M. Clark in London by 1928, then to the collector Edward Hutton, and subsequently to the dealer Wildenstein & Co. before being sold in February 1954 to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, which gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1961. Paolo di Giovanni Fei executed the piece in tempera on wood, since transferred to hardboard, a fact confirmed by contemporary payment records from 1398–1399.
Context
The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple was commissioned in 1398 for the chapel of San Pietro in Siena Cathedral and remained there until at least 1482, underscoring its role in local devotional life. Its composition echoes Pietro Lorenzetti's earlier Birth of the Virgin altarpiece for the same cathedral, situating Fei's work within the Sienese Trecento tradition. Provenance and artistic context have been documented by scholars such as Gaetano Milanesi, Scipione Borghesi, Luciano Banchi, Monica Butzek, and Carlo Volpe.
After passing through several private hands, the panel entered the Samuel H. Kress Collection and is now housed in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Overview
The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple is a painting created in 1398 by Paolo di Giovanni Fei, a notable artist of the Sienese school. Executed in tempera on wood, a technique common to the period, the artwork was later transferred to hardboard. It depicts a significant religious narrative within an ornate architectural setting, populated by numerous figures.
The piece exemplifies the intricate details and vibrant color palette characteristic of late medieval Sienese art, reflecting established Byzantine iconographic traditions.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Paolo di Giovanni Fei (c. 1345 – c. 1411) was a painter of the Sienese school. He came to Siena from San Quirico, Castelvecchio, held public positions in Siena from 1369 and was first mentioned in the Sienese register…
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