Visit of Mary to Elizabeth

This small work portrays one of the most subtly intimate scenes of the Gospel of Luke, the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth: "In those days Mary set off to the mountain, in a hurry, and headed for a city in Judea. Entering the house of Zechariah, she greeted Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby jumped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. To what purpose does the mother of my Lord come to me? Behold, as soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb jumped with joy. And blessed is she who believed in the fulfillment of what the Lord has told her. - " It is therefore a mutual recognition between the two expecting mothers, one pregnant in an almost miraculous way given her age, the other full of joy after the Annunciation. Here the anonymous painter portrays the meeting with simple but effective grace, placing it in an open space behind which a landscape dotted with mountains and castles opens up. The strength of the Virgin, with a very white complexion, contrasts with the figure of Elizabeth, almost bent over with old age. All around, there is an atmosphere of quiet joy, well accentuated by the intense colors and the happiness of the dog.