The Visitation
Unknown Artist
ca. 1510
Medium
Painted terracotta
Dimensions
Height: 20 in. (50.8 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911
Accession Number
11.171
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, *The Visitation* (ca. 1510) is a captivating painted terracotta sculpture from Renaissance Florence, standing at 20 inches tall. This unknown artist's work depicts the biblical encounter between the Virgin Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, a moment of profound joy and divine announcement from the Gospel of Luke. Acquired through the Frederick C. Hewitt Fund in 1911, it exemplifies the devotional art cherished in Florentine homes and chapels during the early 16th century. Terracotta, or fired clay, was ...