Kaisheimer Altar: Tempelgang Mariens

Hans Holbein the Elder painted the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple for the Kaisheim Altar in 1502. This scene from the apocryphal gospels shows the young Mary ascending the steps of the Jerusalem Temple. Holbein's ambitious architectural setting demonstrates his mastery of perspective within the religious narrative context. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting.

Oil on panel with elaborate architectural rendering of the temple and its monumental staircase. The small figure of the young Mary ascending the steps creates an effective contrast with the surrounding architecture.