Advent Calendar 2021

Stained-glass panel from the Church of Sainte-Radegonde in Poitiers, France (c. 1270–75). Glencairn Museum, Bryn Athyn, PA, 03.SG.43. To view a zoomable version on Google Arts & Culture, **click on the image**.

10. Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

This 13-century stained-glass panel from Sainte-Radegonde in Poitiers, France, illustrates the Visitation. The visit occurred between Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, and her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. This panel pictures a happy embrace between the two women as they meet at Elizabeth’s home in the hills of Judea (Luke 1:39–56). The biblical story reveals that when Mary greeted her, Elizabeth’s baby “leaped in her womb,” and Elizabeth was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” The figure on the left is most likely Mary due to the emphasis on blue in her clothing and her smaller size in relation to Elizabeth, her older cousin.

Visit us at Follow the Star: A 2021 Advent Calendar.