Visitation – Sculpture in La Serena
Work
Visitation
Author
Lily Garafulic
Year
20th Century
History
This yellow stone sculpture (1.5–2 m high) reinterprets the biblical encounter between Mary and Elizabeth through abstract forms and geometric volumes.
Created around 1950–1960, it fuses modernist language with religious symbolism, characteristic of Garafulic.
The work—with its textured surfaces and suggested face—reflects her style of "abstract humanism", transforming a sacred theme into essential forms that dialogue with public space.
Part of La Serena's artistic project, it stands out for using local materials to connect tradition and avant-garde.
Technical Data
AUTHOR
Chilean sculptor (1914–2012), pioneer of modern art.
She fused abstraction with pre-Columbian tradition in stone and bronze.
She was the first woman to direct the National Museum of Fine Arts (1973–1977).
Author of Visitation (La Serena) and the doors of the Cathedral of Santiago.
Her work renewed Chilean monumental sculpture.
TIME
20th Century
MATERIALITY
Yellow stone.
DESCRIPTION
Stylized human figure, with geometric volumes and textured surfaces.
Alternates polished planes with rough areas in a vertical composition that suggests movement or encounter.
