Artwork
Saint Mary Magdalene in the Desert
Saint Mary Magdalene in the Desert is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Lucas van Leyden. It dates from 1508 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Lucas van Leyden's 'Saint Mary Magdalene in the Desert' is an engraving created around 1508. It is a representative work of the Dutch artist, known for his expertise in engraving and woodcut.
Subject & Meaning
The engraving depicts Mary Magdalene alone in a desert landscape, wrapped in a cloth and holding a cross. A tree stands behind her, and a distant city is visible under a bright sky, suggesting a contrast between solitude and civilization.
Technique & Style
The artist achieved depth and texture through fine lines, particularly in rendering the subject's hair and the rocky terrain. This technique was characteristic of engraving practices at the time, allowing for detailed prints using metal and ink.
Own this work as a print
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.
Salome with the head of St John the Baptist
The Virgin and Child
Worship of the Golden Calf
A Game of Chess
Mary with Child, St. Maria Magdalena and founder (separate outside, Inv. No. 7713)
Inner left wing of a diptych with Christ as the Man of Sorrows
Inner right wing of a diptych with the Virgin as Mater Dolorosa
Annunciation
Saint Christopher at the Border of a River
Saint John on Patmos
St. John the Evangelist on the Isle of Patmos
Saint Jerome in the Wilderness
Saint John
Saint Jerome in the Wilderness
The Story of Lot: Lot with His Daughters
Saint Jerome in the Wilderness
The Cumaen Sibyl
The Magdalen in Penance
Saint Jerome with the Angel
Mary Magdalene in the Wilderness