Sensing the Eternal Birth: Mystical Vision “Inside” The Visitation in the Met
Religions September 27, 2024 Davide Tramarin
A carved wooden Visitation group (1310–1320) from the Dominican convent of St. Katherinental originally included two rock crystal cabochons embedded in the wombs of Mary and Elizabeth. The crystals, symbols of purity and divine illumination, were integral to the artwork's design and function. The sculpture was conceived in connection with Meister Eckhart's mystical doctrine of inner vision and the Eternal Birth of God within the soul. For the Katherinental nuns, the crystals served as tools fostering spiritual connection with the divine. The analysis draws on sensory studies and visual and material culture methods to interpret the iconological essence of the piece.