Visitation (Ghirlandaio)

The Visitation is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Domenico Ghirlandaio, dating 1491. It is displayed in the Louvre Museum of Paris, France.

Visitation
ArtistDomenico Ghirlandaio
Year1491
MediumTempera on panel
Dimensions172 cm × 165 cm (68 in × 65 in)
LocationLouvre Museum, Paris

The work was commissioned by Lorenzo Tornabuoni[1] for the church later known as Santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi.

Description

The Visitation episode refers to the meeting between Mary and St. Elizabeth. It was set by Ghirlandaio with a large classical arch in the background featuring a landscape in the centre. Elizabeth, wearing a wide yellow vest, is paying homage to Mary and kneeling.

The painting features numerous details, including the refraction effects of the light, which Ghirlandaio studied from Flemish paintings at Florence. Others include: the frieze decorated with pearls and shells (allusions to Mary's purity), the light veil of the Madonna, the gilt brooch decorated with pearls and a ruby in the centre (this a hint to Jesus' future Passion) which holds her cloak. The Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe of the Uffizi houses a preparatory drawing of Mary's cloak.

The two women at the sides are, as described by the inscriptions on the arch, Mary of Cleopas and Salome, whose presence hints to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Salome's dress is a citation of Filippo Lippi's Bartolini Tondo, which was the inspiration for numerous similarly graceful figures in works by Ghirlandaio, Botticelli and others.

Stylistic differences in the figures testifies the work of workshop assistants, perhaps Sebastiano Mainardi. On the lower right of the arch is the date MCCCCLXXXXI (1491). The city in the misty background could be a re-elaboration of Rome, as it includes a triumphal arch and the Pantheon.

Sources
  • Micheletti, Emma; Ghirlandaio, Domenico (2004). Pittori del Rinascimento. Florence: Scala. ISBN 88-8117-099-X.
  • Quermann, Andreas (1998). Ghirlandaio. Cologne: Könemann.

References
  1. See entry for Giovanni Tornabuoni.
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