Attributed to Jean-Baptiste De Cany

French school of the seventeenth century.
Attributed to JEAN-BAPTISTE DE CANY (Paris, 1671-1707).
"Mary Magdalene Penitent."
Oil on glass.
With original tortoiseshell frame.
Measurements: 24.5 x 19 cm; 35 x 30.5 cm (frame).
Painting of baroque school and baroque period, a time in which within the genre of religious painting Magdalene Mary occupied a preferential place because it allowed the artist to explore plastically the sensuality and mysticism at the same time. Here, the saint holds a jar of ointment and wears shiny hair that falls over her shoulders like golden waterfalls. The jar of ointment is her traditional attribute for referring to the chapter in which she anointed Jesus' feet with oil (an episode in which the figures of Magdalene and Mary of Bethany are confused). The painting is attributed to Jean-Baptiste De Cany, who specialized in portraits and religious themes. He belonged to a family of painters and sculptors. He was a disciple of Laurent de La Hyre. A drawing of his on the theme of "The Visitation" is preserved in the Louvre (inv. 25137).
Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the New Testament as a distinguished disciple of Christ. According to the Gospels, she housed and materially provided for Jesus and his disciples during their stay in Galilee, and was present at the Crucifixion. She was a witness of the Resurrection, as well as the one in charge of transmitting the news to the apostles. She is also identified with the woman who anointed Jesus' feet with perfumes before his arrival in Jerusalem, so her main iconographic attribute is a knob of essences, like the one shown here. Alone, Mary Magdalene is usually depicted as we see here, doing penance in the desert, repentant for her past sins. The story of this saint serves as an example of Christ's forgiveness, and conveys the message of the possibility of redemption of the soul through repentance and faith.