Marco Marziale, 'The Circumcision', 1500

A crowd clusters around an altar in a church filled with mosaics. On the right, a bearded priest wields a knife; on the left the Virgin Mary, in red and blue, holds the Christ Child. Behind her is Saint Joseph, holding a pair of doves. This is the circumcision of Christ, as described in the Gospel of Luke (2: 21–30).

Eight days after he was born, as according to Jewish custom, Mary and Joseph took Christ to the temple in Jerusalem to be circumcised and also given his name. The doves were traditionally offered as a sacrifice at a child’s circumcision. One of the men behind the priest must be Simeon, who had been promised by God that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. He recognised the Christ Child as the promised one, and proclaimed words which are inscribed in Latin on the arches: ‘Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.’ The older lady behind is presumably the prophetess Anna, who was also present.

This large and highly decorative picture was commissioned in 1500 for the church of San Silvestro in Cremona by the Venetian jurist and poet Tommaso Raimondi. He is shown in profile on the far right, wearing a luxurious red robe. His wife, Doralice Cambiago, faces him on the far left. Cremona was in the Duchy of Milan, and Doralice is dressed in the height of Milanese fashion (the same style of outfit is seen in Female Members of a Confraternity, Portrait of a Woman in Profile and Bona of Savoy (?)). Her initial, D, is embroidered in gold around the hem of her blue brocade overdress. The blond boy kneeling on the step is probably their son, Marco.

The artist, Marco Marziale, signed and dated the painting, and also named the patron, on the cartellino attached to the front of the altar. Marziale was Venetian and a pupil of Gentile Bellini The composition here echoes that of The Circumcision, painted by Gentile’s brother Giovanni Bellini. The mosaic vaults reflect Venetian church decoration.

According to the Golden Legend, the circumcision was the first time Christ’s blood was shed. It was the beginning of the process of humanity’s redemption and foreshadowed Christ’s sacrifice at the Crucifixion, which was reenacted on the altar in front of the painting during the Mass.The Feast of the Circumcision was usually celebrated on 1 January in the Catholic Church.