How the greatest artists portrayed Mary Magdalene: Titian, Gentileschi, Ivanov, etc

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Mary Magdalene is the closest and most important disciple to Jesus Christ. She is the only one of all the heroes of the Gospel who is mentioned 12 times in canonical writings. She may not have been one of the twelve apostles, but she followed Christ and was very dear to Him. According to church (but not biblical) tradition, Mary Magdalene was a sinful woman who, upon meeting Christ, repented and changed her sinful lifestyle. Great masters of painting dedicated their works to Magdalene, and each of them brought something of his own into her image.

"Magdalene with a Smoking Candle" by Georges de Latour (1638-1640)

Georges de Latour is a French Baroque painter who painted this masterpiece in 1640. The scene depicted in Magdalene with a Fuming Candle took place in a dark and simple room. In de Latour's painting, Mary Magdalene sits in front of a table and is completely immersed in her thoughts. Her right hand rests on her skull, her legs are bare, and her white shirt reveals the heroine's bare shoulders. The body of Mary Magdalene is enveloped in a mysterious darkness, and only a candle illuminates her face. The lamp not only creates an atmosphere of movement, but is also an element hinting at the fragility of human life.

Thanks to this light source, you can see books and attributes that characterize the Passion of Christ and the fleetingness of life. Here is a wooden cross and a bloody whip. The skull represents Golgotha, the site of Christ's crucifixion. The meaning is in the hand caressing the skull - it is a reflection of the theme of death. Flame and skull together embody the transience and irreversibility of time. Thus, all the elements of the picture refer to the themes of repentance and trials sent by God.

"The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection in Italy" Alexander Ivanov (1834-1835)

Alexander Ivanov wrote "The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection" during his trip to Italy. The canvas was sent to the Russian capital in May 1836 and was accepted with great success at an exhibition at the Imperial Academy of Arts. Ivanov was elected an academician.

Although Ivanov painted the painting in the tradition of academic art, the features of Italian art and painting of the Renaissance are clearly traced in it. "The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection" is considered a "rehearsal" before the creation of the large-scale canvas "The Appearance of Christ to the People" (Ivanov wrote it for 20 long years!). However, the work with Magdalene still deserves due attention, because it was thanks to her that the author received the title of academician, and the picture adorned the walls of the palace of Tsar Nicholas I.

The plot with Magdalene by Ivanov is distinguished by elegant simplicity and Italian grace. The viewer sees only two figures - Christ and Magdalene. The artist captured the moment from the Gospel when the Magdalene saw him resurrected. She hurries to Christ, but he stops Magdalene with a calm gesture.

Mary's face is illuminated with many sincere and complex feelings: surprise, excitement, grief, admiration, etc. Magdalene is dressed in a bright red dress. Christ is depicted in a white robe. The image of the Magdalene awakens the viewer's belief in miracles. And the main message of the picture is that even the most lost soul can be saved.

Frederick Sandys "Mary Magdalene", 1859

Frederick Sandys (1829–1904) was the son of an artist and was educated at the Norwich School of Design. He began his career as a portrait painter and antiques illustrator. His move to London in 1851 became fateful, where he became a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, made friends and lived in the same house with Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The latter called Sandys "the greatest living draftsman." Strong and sensual images of female beauty and iconic images of seductive and mysterious women, made in the style of the Pre-Raphaelites, belong to this particular artist.

Looking at his work "Mary Magdalene", the viewer does not immediately recognize Saint Magdalene in the heroine. She is depicted as a beauty with long golden hair in the style of the Pre-Raphaelites. Interestingly, Sandys specialized in the waist figures of beautiful and fatal women. Sandys' close attention to detail is typical of the Pre-Raphaelite school. Sandys' feminine beauty images are iconic images of charming and mysterious women, representing his unique style. The heroine is depicted almost in profile. The background is dark green with English ornaments. The heroine has a vessel with rubbing in her hand (her main attribute), and her shoulders are covered with a red-green scarf with floral ornaments. This image of the Magdalene stands out sharply against the background of other paintings.

Carlo Dolci "The Penitent Magdalene" (1670)

The repentance of St. Mary Magdalene is a traditional theme especially popular in 17th century Italian art. In Dolchi's painting, Magdalene is depicted with her hair loose, her right hand rests on her chest, and the palm of her left hand is raised up and rests on an open book. Her traditional attribute - an ointment pot with which she came to Christ to anoint him - is depicted in the right foreground among the rocks. By the way, loose hair and a pot are a reference to the Gospel of Luke (7: 37-8). The scripture describes a sinner woman who anointed the feet of Christ, washed them with her tears, and wiped them with her long hair. Carlo Dolci was a deeply devout man and became famous for his emotional transmission of religious subjects, as well as meticulous detailing. Mary Magdalene was his most frequently portrayed heroine.

Dolci's distinctive and detailed style of painting brought him fame both in Florence, where he spent most of his life, and beyond. This painting entered the Royal Collection as a gift from Sir John Finch to Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II. As an English resident at the court of Grand Duke Ferdinand II, Finch met Carlo Dolci in Florence and had the opportunity to order a number of works from him. Finch admired the artist and gave him patronage and support.

Artemisia Gentileschi "Transfiguration of Mary Magdalene (Penitent Mary Magdalene)", 1615-1616

Artemisia Gentileschi, the first female artist to join the Florentine Academy, painted the touching Magdalene in 1617. It was an order from the Medici family. The heroine Gentileschi is dressed in a yellow dress with lace and sits among luxurious silk and velvet. One hand of Magdalene clung to her chest, and the other to the mirror, which showed her who she was before God. Her eyes are now completely open and long for freedom, Christ, light. Mary Magdalene does not cease to be beautiful when she turns to Christ, but this beauty is no longer meant to be enriched. She is for the glorification of the Lord, who loves her more than anyone else ever.

It is known that Artemisia Gentileschi herself experienced the pain of public misconduct after being raped by her father's colleague at the age of 17. The ensuing rape trial humiliated the girl and subjected her to more gossip. Gathering all her will and "packing" her amazing artistic talent, she moved to Florence to start her life anew.

Titian "The Penitent Magdalene" (1531, 1565)

Titian was one of those artists who portrayed the Magdalene as a symbol of redemption. In two iconic works, he shows the repentant Magdalene. The viewer sees a moment from the Gospel when the Magdalene realizes her sinful life and cries, lifting her gaze to heaven. His first Magdalene was written in 1531, and then he returned to her 30 years later.

Although Titian's works touch on a Christian theme, they seem quite sensual. The reason lies in medieval narratives. They say that for 30 years after the ascension of Jesus, Mary Magdalene wandered in the desert and her clothes literally fell apart. Artists of the time tended to use this reference as a way of mixing sensuality and religion. The paintings, thus, became more popular, and the artists were not afraid of the scandalous reaction of the public. The physical characteristics of Magdalene Titian correspond to the ideal of beauty of the time: golden long hair, full lips and a magnificent body.