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The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple

Nicolas Chaperon

1639

oil

canvas

From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Early Baroque Italian Baroque Religious

Dominant colour

The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple is a 1639 oil by Nicolas Chaperon, a Early Baroque Italian work, held at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Who painted this?: Nicolas Chaperon
When & what style?: 1639 · Early Baroque Italian
Where can I see it?: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

About this work

This painting shows a scene where a priest is lifting a young girl up to the heavens. She is wearing a pink dress and a blue cape, and her mother is kneeling below her, looking up. The priest is dressed in a white robe and a gold cape, and he is standing on a set of stairs in front of a large stone building. The painting is full of people, some of whom are looking up at the girl, while others are looking down or to the side. There are also some dogs and babies in the scene. The colors are muted, with lots of browns, tans, and grays. The artist, Nicolas Chaperon, uses chiaroscuro to create a sense of depth and contrast in the painting.

About the artist

Artist

Nicolas Chaperon

Nicolas Chaperon (bapt. 19 October 1612, in Châteaudun – 1656 in Lyon) was a French painter, draughtsman and engraver, a student in Paris of Simon Vouet whose style he adopted before his stay in Rome (1642–51) in the…

See the richer artist page