| The story of the Visitation appears often in Italian Renaissance art, yet little consideration of the overall context of the subject exists in the art historical literature. This study traces the development of the iconography of the Visitation as well as the theological meaning of the event. The image of the Visitation is briefly discussed from its earliest manifestations in the sixth century through the thirteenth century. The study then concentrates on the appearance and connotations of the subject during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.;In its earliest representations, the Visitation was depicted simply, with Mary and Elizabeth usually touching or embracing. Often each woman was accompanied by a servant to function as a witness to the sacred event. The iconography began to change in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. At that time, the Franciscan order became interested in the story, adopting a feast for it as early as 1263. They began including additional figures in their depictions and used the story to emphasize the virtues of Mary and Elizabeth as well as the poverty of the Holy Family. Yet the story remained placed within the greater narrative of the life of Christ or John the Baptist.;In 1389 the feast of the Visitation was accepted into the western liturgy by Pope Urban VI. As a result, the imagery was interpreted by other orders and patrons. The Dominicans in particular became interested in the story, using it to demonstrate the important role which the Virgin played in the story of salvation. As interest in the event increased, the Visitation was no longer simply an episode in the life cycle of John or Christ. Individual patrons began to use it as the central subject of their altarpieces. It became a means to express profound theological beliefs, such as the mystery of the Incarnation. |
