Artwork
The life of Mary: the presentation of Mary in the temple
The life of Mary: the presentation of Mary in the temple is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Life of the Virgin. It dates from 1474 and is held in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek. Created in 1474, this oil on panel depicts the biblical episode of Mary’s presentation in the temple.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1474, this oil on panel depicts the biblical episode of Mary’s presentation in the temple. Executed by the anonymous artist known as the Master of the Life of the Virgin, the work now belongs to the collection of Munich’s Alte Pinakothek. The composition gathers a crowd before a richly detailed church façade, rendered in vivid medieval costume.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a golden‑haired girl kneeling before a priest, represents the young Virgin Mary being offered to the temple. Flanked by two women in white veils, the scene alludes to Mary’s future dedication to divine service. The surrounding onlookers and hovering angels emphasize the ritual’s communal and celestial significance.
Technique & Style
The painter employs a layered glazing technique, building depth through successive translucent washes that enhance the luminous quality of the fabrics and stone. Bright pigments delineate the elaborate costumes, while fine brushwork captures architectural details and the delicate forms of the angels above the doorway.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the Master of the Life of the Virgin, an anonymous 15th‑century workshop artist, the panel entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings during the museum’s early acquisitions. Its provenance prior to the 19th‑century collection remains undocumented, but the work exemplifies the devotional imagery circulated in Northern Europe during the late Gothic period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Master of the Life of the Virgin
This anonymous painter worked in the 1470s, specializing in small devotional panels that tell the story of Mary’s life.
The Visitation with a portrait of donor Johann von Hirtz (?-?)
The Life of Mary: Joachim meets Anna at the Golden Gate; in the background the Annunciation of the birth of Mary to Joachim by an angel (verso: upper half of the Crucifixion of Christ)
Maria mit dem Kind
The Life of Mary: the Assumption of Mary (verso: lower half of the Coronation of Mary)
The Engagement of Mary (verso: upper half of the Coronation of Mary)
The Life of Mary: the Annunciation (lower half of the Crucifixion of Christ)
Portrait of an unknown master builder
Virgin and Child with Three Saints
The Marriage of the Virgin, with the Expulsion of Saint Joachim from the Temple, the Angel Appearing to Saint Joachim, the Meeting at the Golden Gate, the Birth of the Virgin, and the Presentation of the Virgin
Tod Mariens
Saint Catherine refuses idolatry
Triptych with Scenes from the Life of the Virgin
Presentation of Jesus Christ at the Temple
Adoration of the Kings
Tempelgang Mariens
The Adoration of the Shepherds