This sculptural group on the central portal of Reims Cathedral represents the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, one of the most refined narrative ensembles on the west façade. The Virgin Mary and Simeon, who occupy the central positions, belong to the original campaign of sculpture executed around 1235, during the mature High Gothic phase of the cathedral’s decorative programme. Their elongated proportions, gentle sway, and finely articulated drapery exemplify the distinctive Reims style, with its emphasis on elegance, naturalism, and expressive modelling.
Servant Theme Pages
Person that serves another person of a lower rank.
This finely carved figure of a servant girl forms part of the expanded Presentation in the Temple ensemble on the central portal of Reims Cathedral. Added around 1252, slightly after the completion of the core group of Mary and Simeon (c. 1235), she represents the next stylistic phase within the Reims workshops, and her features reflect the evolving naturalism of mid-13th-century sculpture.
This detail from Ghirlandaio’s fresco (1485–1490) of the Birth of John the Baptist shows a scene of domestic care immediately following the child’s arrival. In the foreground a wet nurse sits on the floor, her body arranged in a broad, stabilising pose as she cradles and feeds the infant John. Her rich garments, vivid yellow skirt and green-blue bodice, are rendered with the crisp modelling and elaborate folds characteristic of Ghirlandaio’s workshop, signalling both the dignity of her role and the social status of the household she serves