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The Magdalen

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Mary Magdalene leans on a large book and holds the pot of ointment with which she anointed Christ’s feet. According to legend, she retreated into the wilderness of Provence and lived there alone, unreachable by man, and was brought bread by angels who sang to her. In penitence for her former life as a prostitute, she has abandoned all her jewels and finery and her hair is in disarray. She turns from her book to look at us, with one naked foot crossed over the other, and her breasts exposed.

Correggio’s depiction of a full-length Mary Magdalene in a landscape is very original. She is seamlessly integrated into her wild setting and the ivy, dandelions and plants are depicted in meticulous detail. A change made to the composition during painting has been considered as evidence that the picture is definitely an original by Correggio, but some regard it as a copy of a lost larger picture.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

The Magdalen

Date

perhaps about 1518-19

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 38.1 x W 30.5 cm

Accession number

NG2512

Acquisition method

Salting Bequest, 1910

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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