Fantastic Landscape with Mary Magdalene, Paul Bril (Antwerp, 1554 – Rome, 1626) Workshop

Fantastic Landscape with Mary Magdalene Paul Bril (Antwerp, 1554 – Rome, 1626) Workshop First half of the 17th century Oil on canvas (76 x 96 cm. - In an antique frame 95 x 119 cm.) Full details of the artwork (click HERE) The painting in question, a fascinating fantasy landscape whose characteristics immediately reveal the Nordic origin of its author, can be rightfully placed within the close circle of the Flemish artist Paul Bril (Antwerp, 1554 – Rome, 1626) and, more specifically, attributed to a skilled painter active in the early 17th century. The view is distinguished by a pronounced imaginative, free vein, capable of transfiguring realistic landscape into something absolutely dreamlike, almost surreal. It belongs to a landscape tradition typical of Flemish 17th-century painting, of which Paul Bril was an undisputed master. In the distance, with a receding effect, a broad landscape vista composed of cities, waterways, castles, steep rocks, and mountains can be seen. The description of the details, the unfolding of the perspective, and the chromatic tones, characterized by their evocative elegance, are unequivocal features that confirm its proximity to the author. The master habitually introduced religious figures into his captivating landscapes. In our case, the protagonist of the work is a seductive Saint Mary Magdalene, semi-nude to recall her past as a sinner, with her long hair cascading over her body and her gaze filled with emotion and repentance. Beside her are the skull, the cross, and the ampoule of ointment, the three canonical symbols of her iconography. The drawing derives from a famous print, depicting the Penitent Magdalene in a landscape, engraved by Raphael Sadler around 1583 and based on an invention by the Flemish painter Marten de Vos (1532–1603) (https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/magdalena-penitente/2f87bced-5715-4894-bb75-97c478a7733a). Indeed, we know that Paul Bril drew from de Vos's iconographic repertoire on numerous occasions, using his drawings as thematic basis for his compositions, and then integrating them with his typical landscape style, employing his canonical "stage-set" landscape scheme, with dense vegetation in the foreground framing the sacred scene. The effect is emphasized by the different palette, played on one hand with warm brown tones, and on the other characterized by the cool blue hues used for the mountains in the background and the sky, the latter traversed by a beam of light coming from the right side of the painting and directed towards the figure. Considering the still archaic aspects of the composition, the canvas draws inspiration from the works of his early pictorial phase (thus still 16th-century), when the author was still bound to late Mannerist fantasy landscapes reminiscent of Pieter Brueghel the Elder. For comparison, observe some of the master's works now housed in various museums, including: Paul Bril, Landscape with Mary Magdalene, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen – Alte Pinakothek (fig.1) Paul Bril, Landscape with Saint Francis of Assisi, Galleria Borghese, Rome (fig.2) Paul Bril (circle), Seascape with Saint Jerome, Museo Civico Sarnico (fig.3) Paul Bril, Christ and the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus, Udine Castle (fig.4) Paul Bril, Landscape with the Return of the Prodigal Son, Private Collection (fig.5) (fig.1) https://www.sammlung.pinakothek.de/de/artwork/gR4k3ZN4Ee (fig.2) https://www.collezionegalleriaborghese.it/opere/paesaggio-con-san-francesco-dassisi (fig.3) https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0303271301 (fig.4) https://cbc-fe-collaudo.regione.fvg.it/opera/?s_id=482706 (fig.5) https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/entry/work/33136/ CONSERVATION: The canvas is distinguished by its brilliant colors and good state of preservation, taking into account its age, with scattered retouches on the surface. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The work is sold complete with a pleasant frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and guarantee. We handle and organize the transport of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to view the painting in our gallery in Riva del Garda; we will be pleased to welcome you to show you our collection of works. Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information. Follow us also on: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/