Christ in the Temple

Léonard Gaultier

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an architectural scene with a group of figures under arches. The drawing features a gathering of figures in robes and turbans, interacting under a series of tall, elegant arches that appear to be part of a columned portico. The setting includes a background landscape with visible hills and a city or town in the distance. The sky is filled with wispy clouds, and the background is dotted with leafless trees. The detailed architectural elements and the figures’ attire lend the drawing an air of historic or classical significance.