Pontormo's 'La Visitación' on Exceptional Loan at Museo del Prado

Pontormo's masterpiece 'La Visitación' (c. 1528-1530) is now on display at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, as part of the museum's 'La obra invitada' program. The painting, rarely loaned, comes from the parish church of San Michele Arcangelo in Carmignano (Prato), which is currently undergoing renovation. It will remain at the Prado until June 18. The work depicts the Visitation of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth, with four monumental female figures in an ambiguous space. Pontormo's palette features unusual hues and translucent layers, creating a sense of weightlessness. The composition references Dürer's engraving 'Four Naked Women' (1497) and Raphael's 'Visitation' in the Prado's collection. The loan coincides with L'Aquila's 2026 Italian cultural capital status; in exchange, the Prado will lend Raphael's 'Visitation'. The painting is an oil on poplar panel composed of five boards, technically and chronologically close to Pontormo's 'Deposizione' in the Capponi Chapel. Little documentation exists: Vasari did not cite it, and it went unnoticed until the early 20th century. The commission is linked to the Pinadori family, Florentine pigment merchants.