When Mary was three years old, her parents Joachim and Anna brought her to the Temple to offer her to God. This fulfilled a promise the couple made to God when the elderly couple prayed for, and were granted, a child. Mary was led to the Temple by the maidens that served there so that she would not be sad or frightened. In this icon, the maidens appear in a group behind Anna and Joachim. The High Priest Zachariah welcomed Mary into the Temple. Though she is only three years old in this story, Mary is portrayed as a miniature adult—rather than a child—to show her spiritual maturity. She is shown again at the top seated in the Holy of Holies receiving food and wisdom from an angel.

In this icon, the layering of buildings on top of one another creates depth. In Orthodoxy, icons depict a heavenly world, one which expands far beyond the limits of the human one. Therefore, iconographers did not feel bound to portray space, light, shadow, or perspective as we actually see them. The stylized figures and abstract perspective of early icon painters remained the standard for iconographers long after Western artists developed systems intended to make their work appear realistic.

The painting of architecture was one of the central skills of icon painting, and this example is a tour de force. Here, buildings are shown in cross section so that the maximum amount of visual information about them can be revealed. A great variety of building elements appear, including arches, columns, staircases, towers, domes, and even a set of Royal Doors behind Zachariah, the priest. The iconographer depicts a range of material—brick, wood, tile, leaded glass—and decorative elements like medallions, scrolls, and other ornaments. The bright colors and lively patterns are vibrant but do not overshadow the gravitas of the scene. The focus remains on the two images of the young Mary.