Visitation

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, contains some of the world's most famous art pieces, including works by Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli. Perhaps less well-known is a remarkable piece by Mariotto Albertinelli entitled "Visitation," dated 1503. In elegant simplicity, the artist depicts Elizabeth, heavy with child, tenderly greeting Mary. Elizabeth's robes are painted in warm, golden tones, and Mary's robes are regal blue and crimson. As the two women greet each other, you can almost hear their amazement and reverence for their miraculous pregnancies. The painting invites the viewer to join in this hushed worship.

Today in the Word, Dec. 2003, p.18