Artwork Page for Saint Mary Magdalen

Details / Information for Saint Mary Magdalen

Saint Mary Magdalen

c. 1630

Simon Vouet

(French, 1590–1649)
Culture
France, 17th century
Medium
oil on panel
Measurements
Framed: 159 x 132 x 13 cm (62 5/8 x 51 15/16 x 5 1/8 in.); Unframed: 130.8 x 103.5 cm (51 1/2 x 40 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1988.108
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

The skull beside Mary symbolizes the fleeting nature of life and ultimate worthlessness of material possessions.

Description

Simon Vouet worked in Rome for several years before he was summoned back to France in 1627 to serve as court painter to King Louis XIII. This painting, executed soon after his return, reveals how skillfully Vouet adapted his Italian experiences to local tastes: the focus on a single monumental figure, positioned close to the picture plane, reflects the influence of Caravaggio, but the vivid pastel colors accord with the French preference for a brighter palette. Representations of the penitent Magdalene as a hermit—expressing Christian devotion but also sensuality—were exceedingly popular in the 1600s.
A vertically oriented oil painting depicts Saint Mary Magdalen, a woman with a light skin tone, looking upward toward our left with her mouth slightly open. She holds a voluminous orange cloak to her chest over a white dress. In the foreground, a patterned jar, an open book, and a skull sit on a ledge. A wooden staff stands against a dark cliff under a pale sky. Strong light from the upper left illuminates her.

Saint Mary Magdalen

c. 1630

Simon Vouet

(French, 1590–1649)
France, 17th century

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