Visitation
Master of Messkirch·1520
Historical Context
The Master of Messkirch depicted a Visitation around 1520. This anonymous German painter of exceptional quality was named after altarpieces in the Swabian town of Messkirch. The painting is in the Collections of the princely branch of the Hohenzollern Family. The tempera-on-panel medium required a carefully gessoed surface and was painted in fine, precise layers, yielding a luminous, jewel-like surface of great durability.
Technical Analysis
The Visitation scene captures the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth with the distinctive coloristic refinement characteristic of the Master of Messkirch. His unusual chromatic sensitivity distinguishes his work from other South German painters.
