Desvallières’ 1912 The Visitation depicts the visit of the Virgin Mary, while pregnant with Jesus, to her relative Elizabeth.
“When I look at this painting at the National Museum of Western Art from far away, I can’t help but see Gundam.”
Located in Tokyo’s Ueno Park, the National Museum of Western Art houses one of the finest collections of foreign paintings in Japan.
A significant moment in Christianity, rendered by Desvallières in oil on canvas, The Visitation is steeped in Western theology and artistic traditions…and yet, Twitter user @iracco sees something very Japanese in it.