The Visitation
Artist: French 17th Century Artist (French or Italian, not listed)
Original Dimensions: 44 3/4" x 85 7/8"
Location: National Gallery of Art, London
About Artwork: (About 1630) "The Virgin Mary, dressed in blue, visits her older cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with Saint John the Baptist. This episode is described in the New Testament and happens immediately after the angel visits Mary to announce her own miraculous conception of Jesus Christ. In the Bible, the women rejoice at their pregnancies, but here they look serious and concerned. Joseph, Mary’s husband, is not included in biblical descriptions of the Visitation, but he often appears in paintings. Here he stands behind Mary. The elderly man descending the steps is Zacharias, Elizabeth’s husband. This is probably the work of a north Italian artist or a French painter working in Italy. The artist adopted a classical painting style: the bodies are large and solid like antique sculpture. The architecture is simple with little detail apart from the door and an archway revealing a glimpse of the sky and landscape beyond." - (National Gallery of Art, London)

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