Visitation 

Mariotto Albertinelli painted this Visitation, depicting Mary's visit to Elizabeth, in Florence, Italy, around the year 1503. This image encapsulates many cultural concerns of its time. The setting is framed by a classical archway with decorative carvings. Such architectural features reflected the High Renaissance interest in the classical world of Greece and Rome, a world that Italian intellectuals and artists imagined as a kind of Golden Age. The church's institutional relationship with the arts at this time cannot be ignored. Religious works of art were commonly commissioned by wealthy patrons and religious organizations, making it a key source of income for artists like Albertinelli. The painting also comments on the social structures of the time. The gentle and reserved demeanour of Mary and Elizabeth reflect the expected decorum for women in Renaissance society. To fully understand art like this, historians will often turn to period sources, theological texts, and even financial records of artistic commissions to build a clearer picture. The meaning of art is never fixed; it is always evolving in response to our understanding of its ever-changing social and institutional context.