Artwork
Mary with Child, St. Maria Magdalena and founder (separate outside, Inv. No. 7713)
Mary with Child, St. Maria Magdalena and founder (separate outside, Inv. No. 7713) is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas van Leyden. It dates from 1522 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1522 by the Dutch artist Lucas van Leyden, this oil painting presents a modest interior scene populated by four figures.
Created in 1522 by the Dutch artist Lucas van Leyden, this oil painting presents a modest interior scene populated by four figures. The composition is anchored by a woman in a red garment cradling an infant, accompanied by another woman in darker attire, a seated man, and a subtle landscape visible through an open space behind them. The work is part of the Northern Renaissance collection at the Alte Pinakothek.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child, while the adjacent female figure is identified as Mary Magdalene, indicated by her modest dress and contemplative pose. The seated man, likely a donor or patron, rests his hand on a metal pitcher and a book, symbols that suggest piety and scholarly devotion. The quiet domestic setting underscores themes of devotion and familial intimacy.
Technique & Style
Van Leyden employs a restrained chiaroscuro, allowing light to model the folds of the women's robes and the textures of the surrounding objects. The soft layering of fabric and the delicate rendering of the infant’s swaddling cloth demonstrate the artist’s attention to materiality. The background landscape, rendered with modest detail, provides depth without distracting from the central figures.
History & Provenance
The painting has been in the possession of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich since its acquisition, where it is catalogued under inventory number 7713. Its attribution to Lucas van Leyden aligns with the artist’s known oeuvre of religious subjects and his activity in the early sixteenth century, confirming its place within the Northern Renaissance tradition.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very accomplished engraver.
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