19th century
Penitent Magdalene
Oil on oval canvas, 67 x 59 cm
The work in question, an oil on oval canvas in a refined gilt frame with floral decorations at the corners, reprises the iconographic theme of the Penitent Magdalene, extremely widespread throughout the history of art. In the 19th century, this theme underwent a transformation towards a more intimate and domestic key, while still maintaining its traditional symbolic traits. The woman is depicted inside the cave of Sainte-Baume in Provence, the chosen place for the Saint's spiritual retreat according to the Golden Legend, where her relics were preserved. She is accompanied by her indispensable attributes: the ointment jar, visible on the rock ledge, symbol of the evangelical episode of the anointing of Jesus' feet; the reed cross, held in her hand and also present in the background, symbol of deep meditation on the Passion; the book, representing the contemplative life and the study of Holy Scriptures. From a stylistic point of view, the work reflects the Academic and Neoclassical taste of the first half of the 19th century, as evidenced by the particularly smooth brushwork (the so-called peinture léchée), with meticulous attention to the rendering of fabrics—note the intense red of the cloak which creates a strong chromatic contrast with the skin tones and the brown hues of the rock—and to the softness of the skin. In this context, the state of semi-nudity and the poverty of her garments serve as a visual counterpoint to past vanity, emphasizing a clear break from the luxurious and refined customs that characterized the iconography of the Saint before her conversion. According to hagiographies, in fact, after retreating to the rugged peaks of Provence, Mary Magdalene chose a life of absolute asceticism within a cave: stripped of all material possessions and without clothing, she drew sustenance solely from prayer and angelic melodies.
The pointed features of her face and the melancholic grace suggested by her downward gaze, as her long golden hair gently falls over her uncovered breast, would point to the hand of an artist from the central Italian region, who studied and reworked the timeless model of Antonio Allegri, known as Correggio. His Magdalene Reading (once in Dresden and now lost) or the one preserved at the National Gallery in London were, in fact, an essential starting point for engaging with this subject, bringing out an almost devout sensuality, filtered through the precision of the drawing.
The 19th-century artist of the presented canvas has recaptured the sweetness and setting of the 16th-century master, adapting them to a more monumental and static format, suitable for the tastes of bourgeois drawing rooms of the 1800s: the sacred subject served to ennoble the environment, making the sensuality (made explicit by the uncovered breast) acceptable within a religious context.
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