Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Stefan Lochner·1445
Historical Context
Stefan Lochner's Presentation of Christ in the Temple, painted around 1445, is a masterpiece of the Cologne School now in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon. The scene depicts the moment when the infant Christ is brought to the Temple and recognized by the aged Simeon as the Messiah (Luke 2:22-38). Lochner's tender, lyrical treatment combines the decorative richness of late Gothic art with a new warmth and humanity in the depiction of sacred figures.
Technical Analysis
Lochner's technique features jewel-like color with extensive gold leaf, delicate figure modeling with soft transitions, and the sweet, rounded facial types characteristic of his distinctively gentle interpretation of the Cologne School tradition.
