Artwork
Büßende Magdalena (?)
Büßende Magdalena (?) is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Carlo Dolci. It dates from 1651 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. Büßende Magdalena (?
About this work
Overview
Büßende Magdalena (?) is a 1651 painting by Carlo Dolci, an Italian Baroque artist known for detailed religious works. The piece is part of the Alte Pinakothek collection.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is likely the penitent Magdalene, though depicted as a young man with long, curly hair in a sleeveless robe, contemplatively gazing upwards amidst a skull, symbolizing reflection and mortality.
Technique & Style
Dolci employed chiaroscuro to create depth and volume, contrasting the subject's pale skin and the skull against a dark background, characteristic of early Baroque Italian style.
History & Provenance
Created in 1651, the painting is one of Dolci's multiple versions of religious compositions, now held in the Alte Pinakothek collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carlo (or Carlino) Dolci (25 May 1616 – 17 January 1686) was an Italian Baroque painter active mainly in Florence, known for highly finished religious pictures, often repeated in many versions.
