Die Heimsuchung - Hendrick Goltzius

Two women greet one another with a handshake and embrace, their bodies draped in heavy, intricately folded cloth. An older man stands in the background to the right, and a small dog sits in the lower right corner watching the meeting. The scene is set within a complex perspective of classical arches and stone buildings.

As part of the 'Life of the Virgin' series, this work showcases Goltzius's 'protean' ability to transform his style to mimic other masters, a concept of artistic shape-shifting that was highly prized in the intellectual and Hermetic circles of Haarlem. Goltzius was a member of the 'Family of Love' (Hiël), a mystical sect that emphasized internal spiritual transformation.