Artwork
The Repentant Magdalene
The Repentant Magdalene is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The work depicts an interior scene with two female figures.
About this work
Overview
The work depicts an interior scene with two female figures. One woman sits upright on a chair, her hands clasped, dressed in a green garment over a white underlayer. The second figure kneels on the floor, clothed in a long white robe, her gaze directed upward, her expression solemn. A small box rests near the kneeler’s feet, and a dark red curtain forms the backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The composition suggests a moment of private contemplation or penitence. The kneeling posture, combined with the modest box, evokes a sense of quiet reflection, possibly linked to themes of repentance or devotion. The seated woman's folded hands reinforce a tone of reverence, while the contrasting attitudes of the two figures create a narrative tension within the enclosed space.
Technique & Style
The use of a limited palette—green, white, and the deep red of the curtain—contributes to the work’s restrained yet dramatic visual impact.
The painting employs pronounced chiaroscuro, with a focused light source illuminating the faces and upper bodies while deep shadows recede into the surrounding darkness. This contrast heightens the three‑dimensionality of the figures and emphasizes the emotional gravity of the scene. The use of a limited palette—green, white, and the deep red of the curtain—contributes to the work’s restrained yet dramatic visual impact.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
The penitent Mary Magdalene
Penitent Maddalene with her sister Martha
The Death of Cleopatra. Laterally reversed copy after Caspar Netscher in the Staatliche Kunsthalle in Karlsruhe
The death of Cleopatra
The Death of Dido
Lucretia Killing Herself
The Death of Lucretia
Antonius und Kleopatra
Danae (în Registrul de inventar: Jupiter în chip de ploaie de aur o cercetează pe Danae)
Saint Cecilia playing the virginal
Portrait of a woman with a tilted head
The Repentant Magdalene