Artwork
Visitation (Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth in the Presence of Saints Joseph and Jerome)
Visitation (Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth in the Presence of Saints Joseph and Jerome) is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Pellegrini Tiballdi. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Interpretively, the work can be read as an expression of contemplative piety, inviting viewers to meditate on the quiet gravity of the meeting.
The work portrays the biblical moment when Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, a scene drawn from Luke 1:39-56. It is rendered as a religious composition featuring the central figures of Mary and Elizabeth alongside the saints Joseph and Jerome, whose presence underscores the sacred context of the encounter. The subject emphasizes themes of divine anticipation and familial connection within Christian narrative.
Iconographically, the inclusion of Joseph and Jerome functions as symbolic identifiers that ground the scene in a specific devotional tradition, while the overall composition reflects Counter-Reformation emphases on visual clarity and spiritual immediacy. The painting’s formal qualities, its use of oil on canvas and balanced spatial arrangement, serve to heighten the narrative’s emotional resonance without overt miraculous elements.
Interpretively, the work can be read as an expression of contemplative piety, inviting viewers to meditate on the quiet gravity of the meeting. Its presence in a major museum collection highlights its historical significance as an example of 16th-century Italian religious art that blends narrative precision with devotional intent.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a support suited to the substantial dimensions of approximately 76 by 102 centimeters. Classified as a religious painting, it depicts the Visitation alongside Saints Jerome and Joseph, rendered in a manner consistent with Pellegrino Tibaldi's mid-sixteenth-century practice. The canvas support and oil medium place it firmly within the standard Italian painting tradition of the period.
No source addresses the specific handling, brushwork, surface condition, or stylistic qualities of the composition, so further characterization of those aspects is omitted.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Visitation (Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth in the Presence of Saints Joseph and Jerome) was created by Pellegrino Tibaldi in 1550. Executed in oil on canvas, the work depicts the biblical Visitation alongside Saints Jerome and Joseph. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains a part of the institution's religious art holdings.
No specific details regarding the original commission, the initial patron, or the intermediate ownership chain are provided in the available records.
The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it carries the inventory number SK-C-1276.
It has been exhibited at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam as part of its permanent holdings and in thematic presentations of Italian Renaissance art.
Context
Pellegrini Tiballdi's 'Visitation' (1550) occupies a pivotal position in Venetian late Renaissance religious painting, reflecting the devotional intensity of Counter-Reformation Rome while extending Pellegrino Tibaldi's exploration of complex narrative compositions.
Art historical scholarship identifies its significance within the artist's oeuvre through innovative spatial arrangements and emotive realism, positioning it alongside contemporaries like Giovenale Caravaggio in advancing narrative sophistication within altarpieces.
The work's presence in the Rijksmuseum collection underscores its recognized importance in European art history, where it is contextualized as a key example of mid-16th century devotional painting practices.
Its composition synthesizes High Renaissance ideals with emerging Mannerist tendencies, marking a transitional moment in Venetian religious art that influenced subsequent interpretations of biblical encounters.
Overview
Created circa 1550 by the Italian artist Pellegrino Tibaldi, this oil painting portrays the biblical Visitation, where the Virgin Mary meets her cousin Elizabeth. The composition also incorporates Saint Joseph and Saint Jerome, situating the encounter within a richly detailed interior. The work belongs to the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Pellegrino Tibaldi (1527 – 27 May 1596), also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerist architect, sculptor, and mural painter.
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Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
Christ Healing the Blind
Christ blessing the children
Sts Peter and John at the beautiful Gate
The Prophet Elisha
Christ Washing the Disciples' Feet
Suffer Little Children to Come Unto Me
Saint Paul before proconsul Felix of Caesarea- Visitation (Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth in the Presence of Saints Joseph and Jerome)