Helper of Pinturicchio, The Presentation of Mary in the Temple

1489-91
Fresco
Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome

This is the second in a series of frescos in the half-dome of the Basso della Rovere Chapel. Most Presentation images emphasize Mary's ascent up the Temple steps, but this one puts her with the High Priest at the altar. For other images which regard Mary as a priest, see this paragraph in my discussion of portraits of Mary.

In the left foreground are Mary's parents, Anne and Joachim, and a dog. The dog is a conventional symbol of fidelity. (See Impelluso 203, Sill 19).

Read more about images of Mary's Presentation in the Temple.
View this image in full resolution.
See the other frescos in the series: Mary's birth, the Annunciation, the Visitation, and her marriage to St. Joseph.

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Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.