Spanish school of the 18th century.
"Penitent Mary Magdalene".
Oil on canvas.
It shows wear, dirt and lack of polychrome. The canvas has some holes.
Measurements: 101 x 76 cm.

The canvas in bidding shows a young woman in prayer that can be identified as Mary Magdalene, by the perfumer who is on the left side of the composition. It is a painting that shows a great quality of drawing, firm and delicate, with elegant forms and softened by a very nuanced color, rich in glazes and soft gradations. At the expressive level, the beauty of both the forms and the palette is especially outstanding.
Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the New Testament as a distinguished disciple of Christ. According to the Gospels, she housed and materially provided for Jesus and his disciples during their stay in Galilee, and was present at the Crucifixion. She was a witness of the Resurrection, as well as the one in charge of transmitting the news to the apostles. She is also identified with the woman who anointed Jesus' feet with perfumes before his arrival in Jerusalem, so her main iconographic attribute is a knob of essences. While Eastern Christianity honors especially Mary Magdalene for her closeness to Jesus, considering her "equal to the apostles", in the West it was developed, based on her identification with other women in the Gospels, the idea that before meeting Jesus she had dedicated herself to prostitution, and hence the later legend that narrates her penance in the desert. While Eastern Christianity especially honors Mary Magdalene for her closeness to Jesus, considering her "equal to the apostles", in the West the idea developed, based on her identification with other women in the Gospels, that before meeting Jesus she had dedicated herself to prostitution. Hence the later legend narrates that she spent the rest of her life as a penitent in the desert, mortifying her flesh.