The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Study for "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple" (for Saint Ulrich, Vienna)

Study for "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple" (for Saint Ulrich, Vienna)

c. 1750
(Austrian, 1724–1796)
Framed: 90 x 70 x 9 cm (35 7/16 x 27 9/16 x 3 9/16 in.); Unframed: 69.5 x 52.3 cm (27 3/8 x 20 9/16 in.)

Description

This loosely painted sketch is the preliminary design for an altarpiece in the Church of Saint Ulrich, Vienna. Mary and Joseph have brought the infant Jesus to the temple to be inducted into the Jewish faith; the aged priest Simeon cradles the infant in his arms, turning his gaze to heaven as he realizes that he is holding the Son of God. Strong contrasts of light and shadow underscore the drama of the moment.

The frame is not original to this painting, but was made by an Austrian craftsman in the mid-1700s. Its florid style suits Maulbertsch’s flickering brushwork, and reflects the tradition of wood sculpture from Central Europe seen in other objects in the CMA's collection.
  • Count Gyula Andrássy, Budapest
    Countess F. K., London (granddaughter of Count Gyula Andrássy)
    Franz Szabó, London
    Judith Szabó, London
    Count Gyula Andrássy, Budapest;
    Countess F. K., London (granddaughter of Count Gyula Andrássy);
    Franz Szabó, London;
    Judith Szabó, London, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1963.
  • Garas, Klára. Franz Anton Maulbertsch 1724-1796. Budapest, HU : Verlag der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1960.
    De Tolnay, Charles. "Ein unbekanntes Frühwerk des Franz Anton Maulbertsch." In Hahnloser, Hans R., and Ellen J. Beer. Festschrift Hans R. Hahnloser zum 60. Ellen J. Beer, Paul Hofer, Luc Mojon, eds., 397-404. Basel: Birkhauser Verlag, 1961. Reproduced: p. 399, Abb. 1, p. 401, Abb. 3-6
    Garas, Klàra. "Nachträge und Erganzungen zum Werk Franz Anton Maulbertschs." Pantheon XXI (1963): 29-37. Mentioned: p. 30; reproduced: p. 33, fig. 2
    Lee, Sherman E. "Year in Review for 1963." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 50, no. 10 (1963): 263-94. Referenced: cat. no, 91, p. 272 www.jstor.org
    Francis, Henry S. "Franz Anton Maulbertsch: The Presentation of Christ in the Temple." The Bulletin of The Cleveland Museum of Art LI, no.1 (January, 1964): 15-18. Reproduced: p. 14; Details: p. 16-17
    "Accessions of American and Canadian Museums, October-December 1963." The Art Quarterly XXVII, no.1 (1964): 97-118. Mentioned: p. 107; reproduced: p. 98
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 149 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 149 archive.org
    Garas, Klàra. "Franz Anton Maulbertsch Neue Funde," Mitteilungen der Osterreichischen Galerie XV (1971): 7-35. Mentioned: p. 17
    Sobotik, Kent. Central Europe, 1600-1800. [Sarasota, Fla.]: John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 1972. Reproduced: cat. no 82
    Garas, Klára. Franz Anton Maulbertsch: Leben u. Werk : mit Oeuvrekatalog, geordnet nach Standorten. Salzburg, AT: Verl. Galerie Welz, 1974. Reproduced: p, 10; Mentioned: p. 239
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 166 archive.org
    Maser, Edward Andrew, and Laura Nelke. German and Austrian Painting of the Eighteenth Century: An Exhibition ... the David and Alfred Smart Gallery, the University of Chicago, April 20-June 11, 1978. [Chicago]: The Gallery, 1978. Mentioned: cat. no. 16
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Catalogue of Paintings, Part 3: European Paintings of the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1982. Reproduced: p. 2; Mentioned, p.3-5
    Bushart, Bruno. "Der Lyrische Maulbertsch." In Imagination und Imago, Festschrift Kurt Rossacher: zum 65. Salzburg: Salzburger Barockmuseum, 1983. Mentioned: p. 36; Reproduced: p. 35, fig. 7
    Gengler, Matthew. “You Ask, We Answer.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine vol. 58, no. 3 (May/June 2018): 27. Reproduced and Mentioned: P. 27.
  • Art in the Age of Mozart. Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (organizer) (October 29-December 15, 1991).
    German and Austrian Painting of the Eighteenth Century. The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, IL (organizer) (April 20-June 11, 1978).
    Central Europe: 1600-1800. John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL (organizer) (January 27-February 27, 1972).
    Year in Review (1963). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 27, 1963-January 5, 1964).
  • {{cite web|title=Study for "The Presentation of Christ in the Temple" (for Saint Ulrich, Vienna)|url=false|author=Franz Anton Maulbertsch|year=c. 1750|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1963.326