Grandes chroniques de France Jean Fouquet: Book of Hours BLRoyal2BXVFol054rLifeChrist, illuminated manuscript

This is a remarkably large and lavishly illuminated Book of Hours, combining French and English styles. The first leaf contains a list of obits members of the royal family and of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Earls of Ormond and their wives, so it was probably made for Anne Boleyn's grandfather, Thomas Butler (1426-1515), 7th Earl of Ormond, or a member of his family. It was given in the early 16th century to a chapel at 'Suthwyke', probably Southwick in Hampshire. With no clear rationale for the selection of scenes or their arrangement, this miniature, the right-hand side of a double-page scheme, includes the Presentation in the Temple, Christ Among the Doctors, the Betrayal and Arrest of Christ, Christ before Pilate, the Carrying of the Cross, Crucifixion, Pieta, and Entombment.

The Presentation in the Temple, also known as the Purification of the Virgin or the Meeting of the Lord, is a scene from the New Testament that depicts the presentation of the baby Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to fulfill the requirements of Jewish law, which mandated that a mother who had given birth to a male child must undergo a period of purification before being allowed to reenter the community. At the Temple, they encountered two elderly prophets, Simeon and Anna, who recognized Jesus as the Messiah and praised God for his arrival.

The Presentation in the Temple is significant in several ways. It highlights the obedience of Mary and Joseph to the laws and traditions of their faith, and underscores their commitment to raising Jesus as a faithful Jew. It also foreshadows the role that Jesus would play as a teacher and leader, as Simeon and Anna recognized him as the Messiah and praised God for his arrival.

The scene is often depicted as a peaceful and contemplative moment, with Mary and Joseph holding the baby Jesus, while Simeon and Anna look on with awe and wonder. The imagery of the Presentation in the Temple is often used to evoke themes of obedience, devotion, and recognition of the divine presence in the world.

"Christ among the Doctors" is a subject in Christian art that depicts the youthful Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem, conversing with the teachers of the law. The event is described in the Gospel of Luke, where it is recorded that at the age of twelve, Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem after a pilgrimage to the city with his parents. He was later found in the Temple, sitting among the teachers and asking them questions, which amazed those who heard him. The scene is seen as a prefiguration of Jesus' later ministry and is interpreted as an early sign of his divine nature.

The image of Mary holding the Christ Child is a common depiction in Christian art and is known as the "Madonna and Child." It represents the mother of Jesus and her son and is a symbol of motherhood, love, and compassion.