Corrado GiaquintoItalian, 1703–1766The Presentation in the Temple
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “The Presentation in the Temple” now? Collection: Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge. Not on view at present. Checked October 12, 2026.
Cambridge, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
This composition formed part of Giaquinto’s program of ten altarpieces designed for the sacristy of the church of San Luigi di Palazzo in Naples. Here the Neapolitan artist portrays the fulfillment of the Virgin’s Purification, an event taken from the Gospel of Saint Luke in which Mary presents the Christ child to the Lord after forty days of ritual “purifying.” Like other works from the series, this painting stresses the Virgin’s faith and humility in carrying out this obligation for new mothers, in spite of her divine purity, which made such a ritual unnecessary. Giaquinto focuses the narrative by casting a softened light on the central scene, with the Virgin balanced to her right by the priest Saint Simeon, and to her left by a kneeling maid offering two turtledoves.
Harvard Art Museums
Details
- Accession number
- 1958.4
In the catalog
Sources
- Harvard Art Museums
- Image: Harvard Art Museums — © President and Fellows of Harvard College
