Spanish school, 17th century

Spanish School, XVII century,
Magdalene penitent.
Oil on copper.
Measurements: 16 x 11'5 cm.; 29 x 24'5 cm.
A wild cave is the scene where the painter places the saint, a woman dressed with a tunic that slides down her body revealing a slender and white shoulder and a red mantle. The saint has long coppery golden hair, haloed by a nimbus, and kneels before some stones that support a crucifix and an open book. The woman holds the book open with her right hand, while in her left hand she holds a scourge. It is most probably Mary Magdalene, one of the saints who enjoyed the greatest devotion from the late Roman period to the present day. The New Testament includes her as one of the most faithful followers of Christ, but her figure was soon mixed with some other women who had contact with Jesus, such as the repentant prostitute or the Mary sister of Martha and Lazarus. The iconography of the saint is nourished both by the Gospel passages and by medieval additions to her legend. Among the latter is Magdalene's retreat to the desert, where she remained praying and doing penance for a good part of her life. It is this episode of her life that is reflected in the painting. The saint has withdrawn to a solitary place where she submerges herself in meditation and bodily mortification. As usual in 17th century Spanish painting, the painter uses a naturalistic technique of intense chiaroscuro, with a clear and direct composition. A spotlight outside the composition strongly illuminates the main subject, the figure of the saint, leaving the surroundings in semi-darkness. Although it is a devotional theme, the artist does not leave aside the sensual aspect: Mary Magdalene is a young and beautiful woman, although her expression is somewhat tormented.