Artwork
The Assumption of Saint Mary Magdalene
The Assumption of Saint Mary Magdalene is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci. It dates from 1390 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1390 by Florentine artist Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci, this tempera panel portrays a solemn religious tableau.
Created circa 1390 by Florentine artist Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci, this tempera panel portrays a solemn religious tableau. A tall, golden‑haired woman stands in a gilded interior, hands clasped in prayer, surrounded by two kneeling women and a pair of angels dressed in pink and blue. The composition is set against a modest landscape of trees and a distant building, all rendered in a flat, gold‑rich palette.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure represents Mary Magdalene, a prominent disciple in Christian tradition, shown in a moment of devout contemplation. The accompanying kneeling women may symbolize penitents or followers, while the angels underscore the sanctity of the scene, suggesting a heavenly endorsement of her devotion.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera on panel, the work employs the precise, linear qualities characteristic of manuscript illumination, a skill Gherarducci honed earlier in his career. The gilded background and stylized forms echo Byzantine iconographic conventions, while the delicate detailing of hair and garments reflects the artist’s refined hand.
History & Provenance
Don Silvestro, who later entered monastic life and served as prior of Santa Maria degli Angeli, likely produced the piece for a devotional setting. The painting entered the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection in the 20th century, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s medieval holdings.
Context
The panel belongs to a period when Florentine painters blended local Gothic tendencies with Eastern iconography, a synthesis visible in the flat gold surface and hierarchical arrangement of figures. Such works catered to both liturgical functions and private contemplation, illustrating the era’s devotional practices.
Artist & collection
Artist
Silvestro dei Gherarducci (c. 1339 – c. 1399) was an Italian painter and illuminator in Florence. He became a monk and later a prior of the monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli where he first started work on illustrations for manuscripts.
Diptych from the Winterfeld family foundation left wing, obverse: St Mary Magdalene held aloft by angels
Processional Banner
Het martelaarschap van Sint-Laurentius, met twee benedictinessen
The Crucifixion
The Assumption of the Virgin with Saints from an Augustinian altarpiece
The Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels
Our Lady of Mercy
Saint Mary of Egypt
Virgin and Child with Saint Anne
Virgin Mother and Child enthroned surrounded by the Holy Father, the Holy Ghost and Angels
Virgin and Child with Sts. Louis of Toulouse and Michael
Ascension