Artwork
The penitent Mary magdalene in the wilderness
The penitent Mary magdalene in the wilderness is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adriaen van der Werff. It dates from 1707 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The imagery aligns with the broader iconography of the Penitent Magdalene, emphasizing her role as a figure of contrition and devotion.
The work depicts Mary Magdalene in a state of penitence within a wilderness setting, a subject central to religious art traditions. As a religious painting, the composition focuses on the saint's spiritual reflection and repentance outside of civilized society. The imagery aligns with the broader iconography of the Penitent Magdalene, emphasizing her role as a figure of contrition and devotion.
Created in 1707 by Adriaen van der Werff, the piece serves as a visual representation of this specific hagiographic narrative.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 195.5 cm in height by 128.6 cm in width. It portrays a penitent Mary Magdalene in a desert landscape, rendered with meticulous attention to light and texture characteristic of van der Werff's religious compositions. The handling of oil paint emphasizes subtle gradations of tone, contributing to the contemplative mood and intimate scale typical of early 18th-century devotional art.
History & Provenance
The painting The Penitent Mary Magdalene in the Wilderness was created by Adriaen van der Werff in 1707. Executed in oil on canvas mounted on a panel, the work measures 195.5 cm in height and 128.6 cm in width. Its provenance traces back to the collection of Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz, which was historically housed in the Electoral Gallery in Düsseldorf.
The piece is now part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is held at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
The painting The penitent Mary Magdalene in the wilderness by Adriaen van der Werff (1707) is housed in the Alte Pinakothek, part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It was formerly held in the Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz collection and the Electoral Gallery Dusseldorf. The work has been exhibited at the Alte Pinakothek and is documented in exhibitions focusing on religious art from the late Baroque period.
Overview
Adriaen van der Werff’s 1707 oil painting, The Penitent Mary Magdalene in the Wilderness, presents a solitary female figure seated on a rock amid a stark, shadowed landscape. The work is part of the Dutch Golden Age collection and currently resides in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek, reflecting the artist’s late‑Baroque sensibility.
Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen van der Werff (21 January 1659 – 12 November 1722) was a Dutch painter of portraits and erotic, devotional and mythological scenes.
Cupid Kissing Venus (Venus Kissed by Amor)
God Holds Adam and Eve Responsible
A Nymph Dancing to a Shepherd's Flute-Playing
The Holy Family
Bubble-blowing Girl with a Vanitas Still Life
Virgin and Child with Saint John (chalk sketch)
Self-portrait with the Portrait of his Wife, Margaretha van Rees, and their Daughter Maria
Portrait of Johann Wilhelm Elector of Palatine (1658-1716)
