Nunc Dimittis Window

In this window, Mary is shown presenting the infant Jesus to Simeon in the Temple. The scene is based on the following passages from the Gospel of Luke (2:27-28): "He (Simeon) came by the Spirit into the Temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to perform for him the customary ritual of the law, to do for him after the custom of the law, took he up in his arms and blessed God, and said...." The words that follow are the Nunc Dimittis 2(29-32), one of the four canticles or hymns (along with the Benedictus, Gloria in Excelsis, and Magnificat) that are elements of the Lucan infancy narrative: “Lord now lettist 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 light the gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” The gospel account puts this scene in the context of the fulfillment of the law of Moses with respect to an infant son, including his presentation at the Temple and his circumcision.

Although depicted as one scene in this window, the Circumcision and the Presentation are separate events. Mary, because she had not fulfilled the time required before the purification ritual, would not have been present at the Circumcision, which, according to Hebraic law, must take place eight days after a male child's birth. James Hall, in his book Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art states that a circumcision "...might be performed by the parents (presumably the father, who was not required to undergo ritual purification) or a priest of the Temple." Treating the Circumcision and Presentation as one event is typical of representations in Renaissance art.

The three figures in this scene, Simeon, Mary, and Jesus, are presented “straight on,” without a pronounced three-dimensional quality. Only the nonfigural representations, the table top and the basin, show much perspective and three-dimensionality. This “flattening out” of the figures is characteristic of Gothic and Byzantine art.

Mary is no longer the youthful, demure women that we see in the Annunciation window. Here, she is a regal, more matronly figure. The naive look has been replaced by the countenance of an older, wiser woman, contemplating her infant. Even her clothing seems more regal and more containing (for example, her neck is covered in this rendering), and her figure seems fuller than in the Annunciation window.

Burnham has again used contrasting colors to heighten and intensify the brightness of Mary's garments. The rich golden-yellow of a sash and garment border against the bright blue of her gown and the further contrast of the purple/mauve cloak gives her clothes an overall richness. The image of the Virgin, adorned with these complementary colors, is further highlighted by the elaborate bright red halo set against the rich blue background. Mary and Simeon do not appear as static figures because of Burnham's use of opposites on the color wheel, bouncing one color off against the next, creating a scene full of tension and excitement. The use of intense blues and reds in the borders adds to the overall effect.

Simeon is depicted as a powerful figure whose face reveals both concern and advanced age. This latter effect is accomplished with facial modeling and provides a contrast to the visage of Mary, who is depicted with a serene and perfect face. Simeon is set apart from the other two figures in that his head is not highlighted by a nimbus. The prominent toque, or head covering, adds to his dignified appearance. His robes, like Mary’s, show rich, pure, contrasting colors.

The infant’s garment, a swaddling cloth, is a pale whitish-green and contrasts with the brilliant, pure colors of the two adults. He is distinguished by the traditional tri-radiant or cruciform halo, in this case with a red cross set on a bright white background. Jesus, with his curly hair, has a perfectly composed face. His unclothed upper body reveals muscular arms outstretched, a gesture that is at once both beckoning and protective.

A golden bowl rests on a table top beneath the infant, in preparation for the ceremony of circumcision, which was one of God's covenants with the Jews. According to Genesis (17), God said to Abraham: "Every male among you shall be circumcised... and that shall be the sign of the covenant between you and Me." The wooden table (or altar) has a cut-out Gothic motif. The red backdrop of this table is the same shade of red used to color the pointed shoes of Simeon and the Virgin, which are barely visible beneath their robes.

Above Jesus is suspended the Nir Tamid, where burns the eternal flame of the Temple. In a general sense, a lamp, when taken literally as “the light,” has considerable symbolic power. Light symbolizes life, the opposite of death - the realm of darkness. Light, and hence, the lamp, also stands for the divine presence (Rev. 21:23 and John 8:12 ): "Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life". Thus, the “eternal flame” foretells of the infant's divinity and immortality.

Behind the lamp is the outline of a structure representing the Temple. Above this image, in the apex of the window, is the type of implement used by a mohel (the person who performs the circumcision), which further ties in the Circumcision ceremony with that of the Presentation at the Temple. The knife rests on a red ground, set as a shield. This is likely the brilliant red that Burnham loved to use and which Emerson thought was continually overworked. The color red may also symbolize the blood Jesus was to shed for humankind.

The central image on the ventilator is a menorah, in this case a seven-branched lamp identified with Jewish ritual (Ex. 37:17-24). Here, it helps place the scene in the Temple at Jerusalem, and is commonly present in depictions of the Presentation.

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