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Christ disputing with the Doctors

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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On their way home from the Passover celebration, the Virgin Mary and Joseph could not find 12-year-old Jesus and anxiously searched for him. They found him sitting under the portico of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, discussing theology with the Temple elders. Mazzolino shows Christ seated on a gilded throne, surrounded by theologians. The Virgin and Saint Joseph, identified by their haloes, listen to Christ’s wise words, and the Virgin crosses her arms in reverence. The structure directly behind Christ may represent the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant containing the tablets with the Ten Commandments was stored. The frieze on its front depicts Moses showing the tablets to his people and above it is the Hebrew inscription: ‘The House which Solomon built for the Lord’ (1 Kings 6: 2).

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Christ disputing with the Doctors

Date

probably about 1520-5

Medium

Oil on wood

Measurements

H 31.1 x W 22.2 cm

Accession number

NG1495

Acquisition method

Bought, 1897

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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