The Presentation in the Temple / The Stigmatization of Saint Francis

The Presentation in the Temple', possibly together with 'Nativity' (Bayerische Staatgemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakothek, Munich), with which it creates a coherent thematic whole, forms part of a diptych whose outer sections were 'Crucifixion' and 'The Stigmatization of Saint Francis'. The identical thickness and dimensions of both panels reveal their common origin.
The symmetrically aligned characters, framed by precise architectural elements that create a monumental effect, are arranged in the scenic space around a small central altar. In the foreground can be seen the Virgin and Anna the Prophetess, while Saint Joseph, who stands further in the background, holds a basket containing two doves, the offering of the poor ordered by Moses. The latter figure is evoked in the stained-glass window, showing the Tablets of Law. The gesture of the child, reaching out to touch Simeon the Priest’s neck, softens the severity of the whole.
The use of some realist representation, evident in the volume of the figures, the angular folds in the clothes, the detailed treatment of the precious stones and the crack in the surface of the altar base, allows us to conclude that the painter must have come into contact with the art practised by the great contemporary Flemish masters.
On the back of the panel (which, as stated above, was originally the outer section of the diptych), Saint Francis is shown, in a less elaborate style, receiving the wounds of the cross on Mount Alvernia.