Title: Magdalena Penitente
Artist: 17th Century Italian School, After Tiziano Vecellio
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 75 cm
Condition Report: Overall good condition

Description:
A 17th-century interpretation of Titian’s celebrated Magdalena Penitente, faithfully capturing the emotional intensity and spiritual depth of the original masterpiece housed in the Prado Museum. The painting depicts Mary Magdalene in an impassioned state of devotion, her eyes lifted toward the heavens, her long, flowing hair cascading over her partially exposed figure. Unlike some versions, this composition omits the skull, instead featuring the Magdalene’s Bible resting on a cloth-covered support—a subtle yet meaningful variation that may have been executed at the request of a patron.

The subject of the Penitent Magdalene gained immense popularity in 16th-century Italy, appealing to aristocrats, clergy, and wealthy patrons alike. The Counter-Reformation period saw an increased focus on religious themes such as penance and redemption, making works like this a profound visual aid for devotion. At the same time, the Magdalene’s sensual beauty, emphasized through her soft modeling and luminous flesh tones, resonated with Renaissance ideals of the female form. Biographer Giorgio Vasari famously remarked on Titian’s original, stating that it “profoundly stirs the emotions of all who look at it; and, moreover, although the figure of Mary Magdalene is extremely lovely, it moves one to thoughts of pity rather than desire.”

About Titian:
Tiziano Vecellio, known as Titian (c. 1488/90–1576), was one of the greatest painters of the Venetian Renaissance. His mastery of color, light, and composition established him as a leading figure in European art, influencing generations of painters from Rubens to Velázquez. His religious works, portraits, and mythological paintings captured the full range of human emotion, from serene beauty to profound sorrow, making him one of history’s most revered artists.