Although born in Germany, Hans Memling spent most of his career working in the Flemish town of Bruges. The Presentation in the Temple is a wonderful example of his distinct style, which combines Germanic spirituality and gracefulness with the Flemish obsession for rich, naturalistic detail in oil. Typical of Memling’s style is the brilliant coloring and lighting and the tall, graceful figures. He is particularly skilled at painting convincing representation of textures, seen here in the shimmering materials of the figure’s clothing, splendid architecture and glass windows. The two girls observing this scene are not mentioned in the Biblical text and may belong to the donor’s family, as it was common to include portraits of the donors in religious scenes of this type, as evidence of their piety.