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Secondary sourcePainting

Simeon Bows to the Infant Jesus

Nicolas Poussin

An engraving of the Presentation in the Temple, showing the elderly Simeon bowing to the infant Jesus, after a painting by Nicolas Poussin.

Depicts the infant Jesus being presented in the Temple and recognised by Simeon, a key Gospel scene.

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Engraving of the Presentation in the Temple: an elderly bearded man in a robe and cloak leans forward to embrace or bow to an infant held by a woman, while a standing woman in a long draped gown looks on. Other figures, columns, and a hanging drape fill the setting. Italian caption text is printed below the scene.
Engraving by A. Mochetti after Nicolas Poussin, Simeon bows to the infant Jesus Christ. Wellcome Collection.

About this source

What it is

This engraving, made after a work attributed to the French painter Nicolas Poussin, depicts the biblical scene of the Presentation in the Temple. An elderly man, Simeon, bows or embraces the infant Jesus, held by his mother, while another woman looks on. An Italian caption beneath explains the scene. It is held by the Wellcome Collection.

Why it matters

The Presentation in the Temple is a Gospel episode where Simeon recognises the infant Jesus as the promised saviour. This print shows how painters like Poussin, and the engravers who copied their work, helped spread and reinforce Christian religious imagery across Europe long after the events described.

Look closer

  • What does Simeon's posture suggest about how the artist wanted viewers to feel about this moment?
  • Why might this scene have been a popular subject for painters and engravers?
  • How does the Italian caption change who could understand the image, compared to the picture alone?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Jesus Christ on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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