Magdalene Art Series: Rossetti

 

This is Dante Rossetti's 19th century Magdalene at the Door of Simon the Pharisee. It is pen and ink on paper and measures about 30 inches by 18 inches. It is found in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England. 

Like Veronese's Conversion of Mary Magdalene, it depicts the threshold moment when Mary Magdalene turns from a worldly life toward Christ.  

This artwork is obviously very complex and packed with symbolism.  For anyone really interested in unpacking it, there is an abundance of information readily available on the web.  But here is a start:  Magdalene is tearing away a garland of roses from her hair.  In this context, the roses are symbolic of her worldly life.  The man next to her is trying to restrain her from entering Simon's to connect with Jesus, whose radiant face is visible in the window.

The sunflowers symbolize Magdalene turning to Jesus in that sunflowers turn toward the sun.  The three lilies, which represent purity, stand for Magdalene seeking purification. A fawn quietly nibbles at a vine, a Eucharistic symbol. The blouseless beggar girl and the chickens pecking at the ground symbolize the humility that is the groundwork for receiving divine grace.

Rossetti was a leading member of the artistic movement call the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.  He labored intensively at this artwork and wrote sonnets about some of its elements.

Magdalene Art Series: Titian

This is Titian's 16th century Penitent Magdalene.  It is located in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.  The painting is oil on canvas and measures about 47 inches high and 38 inches wide.

The usual symbols of this theme are present:  the alabaster jar, the bared shoulder, the gloomy sky, the scripture book and skull. These are the emblems of Magdalene reflecting on her past life of sin and her hope for heaven.

Titian painted several versions of this theme but this was apparently his favorite as it is said he kept it for himself until the end of his life. It is interesting to compare it with that of El Greco since he studied with Titian.

Of considerable note is that the Hermitage Museum contains the largest collection of paintings in the world.  It was established by Catherine the Great in 1764.

Magdalene Art Series: El Greco

 Here is El Greco's mid-16th century Penitent Magdalene.  It is oil on canvas, measures 65 by 48 inches and is found in the National Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary.

As is typical for this subject, Magdalene is shown with her alabaster jar as well as a book of scripture and a skull (memento mori). Her bared shoulder relates to her past life of sin. The ivy leaves can be seen as a symbol of her ongoing sanctification.

Commentators point out that elements of this artwork -- such as the elongation of Magdalene's neck -- reflect El Greco's early training as an icon painter.

El Greco depicts the penitent Magdalene as a mystic transfixed by divine light in the manner of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.