Giovanni De Vecchi — The Visitation (150 × 148 cm). The Visitation is a favorite theme of the Italian Renaissance, rendered here with the clarity of composition and harmony of color characteristic of the Roman-Florentine tradition. The composition is built on the juxtaposition of the two central figures – the Virgin Mary and Saint Elizabeth – depicted at the moment of a tender embrace that symbolizes spiritual kinship and the acknowledgment of the miracle. The artist underscores the contrast in their ages, modeling the faces with close attention to psychological expressiveness. An architectural backdrop and a landscape receding into the distance create a sense of depth and space, while soft evening light unifies the scene, lending it a tone that is at once solemn and intimate.

An expert analysis by Professor Gianluca Poldi shows that the canvas was executed in the second half of the 16th or the early 17th century. Technical studies identified period-typical pigments (lapis lazuli, lead-tin yellow, vermilion, ochres, and so on), a brown ground, and a fine craquelure, which support the dating. The condition is assessed as very good; no later overpainting or compositional alterations were detected.

The painting is by Giovanni De Vecchi – a Florentine artist who decorated the Villa Farnese and whose works are held in many renowned museums (the Prado, the British Museum, and others). This attribution is supported by an expert opinion from Claudio Strinati, a contributor to the Italian Encyclopedia. Professor Strinati considers the work a high-quality repetition of Sebastiano del Piombo’s famous Visitation in the Louvre, Paris, and attributes it to Giovanni De Vecchi, who was deeply engaged with Sebastiano’s legacy and revisited it on multiple occasions.

Size: 150 x 148 cm.