Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple 1638 - 1648

Charles Mellin made this drawing, "Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple," sometime in the first half of the 17th century, using pen and brown ink, with brown wash, on cream laid paper. Mellin would have chosen his materials very deliberately. Paper was relatively precious at this time, certainly more so than the disposable newsprint that we are used to today. And brown ink allowed for the easy creation of shadows and depth through the use of hatching – the simple technique of drawing many parallel lines. See how the artist uses the wash to create a further sense of shadow and depth, particularly in the voluminous drapes of the figures’ robes? But this wasn’t just any paper; it was laid paper, which has a particular texture created by the wires of the screen used in the papermaking process. These fine lines catch the light, giving the image a subtle visual hum. All of these material choices suggest the amount of work involved in the production process, and give the artwork social and cultural significance. By considering these elements, we gain a fuller appreciation of the image and the story it tells.