Visitation

Around 1445 Luca della Robbia made a white glazed terracotta group depicting the Visitation (the visit of the Virgin to her cousin, Elizabeth) for one of the altars in the church of San Giovanni Fuorcivitas in Pistoia. The elderly Elizabeth, who is humbly kneeling, is greeted with loving kindness by Mary, who is carrying the Savior under her heart. The portrayal, which draws a contrast between youth and old age, was created by the artist in an exceptionally suggestive manner. The two figures together form a pyramid, a characteristic compositional arrangement in Luca della Robbia’s works. Mary’s joyous beauty — a sign of mercy in the Renaissance — is a recurring feature of portrayals of the Madonna executed by Luca and his followers.