The panel Presentation of Jesus at the Temple is one of two preserved sections of the main altar of the church of Saint Elizabeth; the panel was completed in 1462. The painting shows Mary and Joseph. According to a Jewish custom, they brought Baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. The scene, which, in its full form, certainly included the images of Anna the Prophetess and Simeon the God-receiver holding the Baby in his hands, is part of a series showing the story of the life of Christ – a very popular subject of  altar panels. The second preserved panel depicting the Descent from the Cross is currently stored in Nuremberg.

The main altar of the church of Saint Elizabeth was one of the greatest pieces of late-Gothic artwork in this part of Europe. It was commissioned from the Nuremberg workshop of Hans Pleydenwurff (ca 1420–1472). He was one of the oldest local painters, and his fame was only overshadowed by that of Albrecht Dürer. Nuremberg was considered one of the most important craft production centres in Europe, although the decision to commission the polyptych by the city could have been influenced not only by the good reputation of the city and Wrocław’s ambitions to have a work of artof the highest European quality, but also by the strong presence of Nuremberg merchants in Wrocław Patriciate.

The fitting of the polyptych, completed in June of 1462, was supervised by the master artist, Hans Pleydenwurff himself. Unfortunately, the piece was damaged by lightning in 1497, which destroyed many of its parts. Researchers, while trying to reconstruct its original shape, have established that it consisted of a sculptured central part, probably with sculptures of Mary with Baby Jesus and saints, and two sets of painted and gold-plated wings. Despite the damage, it was probably considered a high-quality piece of art for a long time, and it was only in 1653 that a decision was made to have a new reredos fitted.

The Polyptych is worth attention, not only due to its artistic features, but also because it was made in one of the most important painting workshops of late-medieval Europe. This clearly shows the broad horizons, good financial capacity, extensive network of contacts, and great ambitions of Wrocław Patriciate.