Following the model of Antonio Canova

Following the model of ANTONIO CANOVA (Italy, 1757 - 1822), XIX century.
"The Repentance of Mary Magdalene".
Marble.
Measurements: 46 x 40 x 42 cm.

The penitent Magdalene of Antonio Canova, sculpture on which the marble is based on tender, is one of the most moving and atypical works of neoclassicism, as it breaks with the usual heroic coldness to enter the field of pure feeling and repentance. Unlike the Baroque representations of Magdalene, which tended to be ecstatic or dramatic, Canova chooses a posture of absolute dejection. Thus, Mary Magdalene appears kneeling on a rock, with her body slightly bent forward as a sign of humility. Her hands rest on her lap, which would hold a cross, creating a spiritual vanishing point in the sculpture. The head is tilted to one side, with an expression of contained pain and resignation. Placed at his feet is the skull, which, together with the perfumer, is one of his main attributes.

It is worth noting how there are two final versions of Antonio Canova's Maria Magdalene, one located in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the other in Genoa. This was because the difficulties in elaborating the subject led the prolific sculptor to produce two very different preparatory works.