Artwork
Study for "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple" (for Saint Ulrich, Vienna)
Study for "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple" (for Saint Ulrich, Vienna) is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Franz Anton Maulbertsch. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work’s religious context reflects the devotional practices of 18th‑century Austria, where such scenes served as visual meditations on the incarnation.
The study illustrates the moment of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, a biblical episode in which the infant Jesus is brought by Mary and Joseph to the elderly Simeon. In this composition Franz Anton Maulbertsch emphasizes the ritual setting and the gestures of the participants, highlighting themes of recognition and divine revelation. The work’s religious context reflects the devotional practices of 18th‑century Austria, where such scenes served as visual meditations on the incarnation.
The painting’s dimensions and oil on canvas medium, documented in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection, confirm its status as a preparatory study for a larger altarpiece.
Technique & Style
The preparatory work is an oil painting on canvas, measuring about 69.5 cm in height and 52.3 cm in width, produced in Austria in 1750. It was created as a study for the later altarpiece "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple" intended for Saint Ulrich in Vienna. The artwork is executed in oil paint, a medium typical of mid‑18th‑century Austrian religious painting, and the canvas support confirms its status as a canvas‑based piece. Documentation does not include details on handling procedures or current condition, leaving those aspects unspecified.
History & Provenance
Franz Anton Maulbertsch executed this oil painting on canvas in 1750 as a preparatory study for the altarpiece depicting the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, originally commissioned for the church of Saint Ulrich in Vienna. Created in Austria, the work serves as a religious genre piece measuring 69.5 by 52.3 centimeters. The painting eventually entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is held under the accession number 1963.326.
The oil sketch is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued with the accession number 1963.326. It entered the museum's collection as part of its holdings of religious works by the Austrian painter Franz Anton Maulbertsch. No prior provenance details or exhibition history are recorded in the available sources.
The work was created in 1750 as a preparatory study for Maulbertsch's altarpiece "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple" executed for the church of Saint Ulrich in Vienna.
Overview
Franz Anton Maulbertsch's Study for "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple," painted around 1750, is an oil sketch for a larger altarpiece intended for Saint Ulrich in Vienna. This work exemplifies the Austrian Rococo style, characterized by its dynamic composition and luminous quality. It offers insight into the artist's creative process for a significant religious commission. The painting is now part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.
Context
Born in Langenargen in 1724, Franz Anton Maulbertsch became a prominent Austrian painter and engraver. His artistic development was shaped by studies at the Academy of Vienna and a deep engagement with Venetian painting traditions, particularly the works of Piazzetta and Giovanni Battista Pittoni. He also drew inspiration from Sebastiano Ricci's frescoes at Schönbrunn Palace, integrating these influences into his distinctive Rococo style.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Franz Anton Maulbertsch (7 June 1724 – 8 August 1796) was an Austrian painter and engraver, one of the most renowned exponents of Rococo painting in the German and Hungarian regions.
