Shop art print and framed art La Madeleine repentante by Simon Vouet

The Repentant Magdalene is a painting by Simon Vouet, painted in 1633-1634 and now in the Musée de Picardie in Amiens. The painting depicts Mary of Magdala, Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus Christ's disciples who witnessed his Passion and was the first witness to the Resurrection. Christian tradition made her a sinner and a penitent. The theme of the repentant Magdalene was abundantly represented by artists from the Middle Ages to the present day, and was one of the favourite figures of the Counter-Reformation. This painting was added to the Musée de Picardie collection in 1890, thanks to a gift from the Lavallard brothers. Another of the artist's repentant Magdalene paintings is in the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States. The figure of Mary Magdalene, in bust and in profile, has half bare shoulders, partially covered in white and orange cloth. With her right hand resting on a crucifix with a skull at the bottom, against which an open book (probably the Bible) is placed, the Magdalene looks into the distance. The crucifix, Bible and skull suggest the contemplative life Mary of Magdala was to lead. However, this repentant Magdalene is an ambiguous figure, a religious icon imbued with a certain voluptuousness, both sensual and modest, resplendent with beauty. According to some authors, the artist portrayed Mary Magdalene in the guise of his first Italian wife Virginia da Vezzo. Here, Vouet breaks with the dramatic depictions of a reclusive Mary Magdalene, her hair sparse [...]

 

This artwork is a painting from the classical period. It belongs to the baroque style.

 

« La Madeleine repentante » is kept at Musée de Picardie, Amiens, France.

 

Find the full description of La Madeleine repentante by Simon Vouet on Wikipedia.