Spanish school; 17th century.
"The Visitation of the Virgin to Elizabeth".
Oil on canvas (original).
It has perforations and losses of paint. One side of the canvas is detached.
Measurements: 78 x 98 cm; 110 x 116 cm (frame).
Painting of baroque period, representing the biblical passage of the visit of Mary, pregnant of Jesus, to her cousin Elizabeth, pregnant of John the Baptist. Saint Joseph and Zarariah occupy the second place, both compositionally and symbolically. The painter has focused on the gestural and expressive dramaturgy of the figures, neglecting the spatial description. The visit is recorded in Luke's Gospel, and frequently appears in art because of its theological importance (St. John leapt for joy, and Elizabeth recognised Mary as the Mother of the Saviour with the well-known "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb..." as she herself received the influence of the Holy Spirit). The biblical text mentions the "house of Zechariah" in which Elizabeth lived, but does not mention St. Joseph; however, conventions of the time that were more social than religious (it was not logical for a woman to travel alone) usually present the Putative Father of Christ, thus achieving a certain symmetry with the figure of Zechariah, who also appears in most cases.