Saint Mary Magdalene, ca. 1624–25

Pen and brown ink
x1948-1266
Saint Mary Magdalene

Interpretation

According to legend, Saint Mary Magdalene was a reformed prostitute who became one of Jesus’s most devoted followers; after his death, she lived as a hermit in a mountain cave. During the Counter Reformation her penitential role was emphasized, as in this drawing, which depicts the saint adoring a small crucifix. Executed with deft strokes of pen and ink, this exploratory sketch demonstrates the ways in which the leading Italian Baroque painter Guercino exploited economical means for maximum dramatic effect, utilizing a graphic code of devices—zigzagging lines, clustered dots, and parallel hatching—to conjure the essence of female beauty
and rapturous devotion.

Information

Title
Saint Mary Magdalene
Object Number
x1948-1266
Maker
Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri)
Medium
Pen and brown ink
Dates
ca. 1624–25
Dimensions
18.9 x 21 cm (7 7/16 x 8 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Dan Fellows Platt, Class of 1895
Culture
Italian
Marks/Labels/Seals
Stamp in black ink, on verso lower left: D.F.P. [in circle] [Lugt 750a]
Type
Materials

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