Visitatie 1652 - 1702

This is an engraving of the Visitation scene by an anonymous artist. It depicts Mary's visit to Elizabeth, and the narrative is drawn from the Gospel of Luke. During the period this was made, the imagery was used to reaffirm societal expectations of women. In the image, gender and class intersect, as we see Mary, often represented as an emblem of purity, meeting her older relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth's joy at Mary’s coming is a pivotal moment in religious history, and the anonymous artist positions it within a broader socio-economic context by including the figure of a woman carrying a basket - a symbol of domestic labor. The artist develops the traditional narrative by showing the spectrum of women’s experiences. The encounter is not just spiritual, but grounded in the everyday realities of women’s lives. The print invites us to consider the varied roles and lived experiences of women in both religious narratives and everyday life.