Martha and Mary Magdalene

Caravaggio painted Martha and Mary Magdalene around 1598 while residing in the palazzo of his patron, Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, who is identified as the commissioner of the work. Two courtesan models from del Monte's circle, Anna Bianchini and Fillide Melandroni, are thought to have posed for Martha and Mary Magdalene respectively. The painting is believed to have originally entered the collection of Ottavio Costa, whose will of 6 August 1606 directed his secretary Ruggero Tritonio to choose between this canvas and a Saint Francis, with the unselected work passing to Juan Enriquez de Herrera; since the Saint Francis later appears in Tritonio's inventory, the Martha and Mary is assumed to have gone to Herrera, probably in late 1606.

After Herrera's death on 1 March 1610, the only firm evidence of its later ownership is a seal and inscriptions on the back of the original canvas bearing the names Niccolò, Emilia, and Anna E. Panzani, a family that has not been traced.

The painting resurfaced in the modern era on 25 June 1971, when its owners attempted to sell it at Christie's in London as lot 21. It failed to sell at 130,000 guineas, despite the confidence of the restorer Juan Corradini of Buenos Aires. Scholars including Benedict Nicolson and Mina Gregori continued to debate its status into January 1974, after which it came to be generally accepted as an autograph work. The Detroit Institute of Arts acquired the painting in 1973, where it remains today.

The painting is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, having been acquired by the museum in 1973. Prior to this acquisition, the work appeared at a Christie's auction in London on June 25, 1971, where it failed to sell despite an asking price of 130,000 guineas. Early provenance research suggests the piece may have originally belonged to Ottavio Costa, passing to Juan Enriquez de Herrera around 1606, though later records indicate ownership by the Aldobrandini family before its entry into private collections in the 19th century.

The work was considered a copy until the 1970s, when scholarship by Denis Mahon and others confirmed its attribution to Caravaggio, facilitating its purchase by the Detroit institute.

Painted circa 1598 during Caravaggio's residence with Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, this work exemplifies the artist's early Baroque approach to religious subjects by depicting sacred figures without traditional halos, presenting them instead as ordinary people. The composition adheres to Counter-Reformation directives while engaging with medieval traditions that conflated Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany. Art historically, the painting bridges Caravaggio's secular genre scenes and his religious commissions, utilizing known courtesans Fillide Melandroni and Anna Bianchini as models for the sisters.

Scholarly reception evolved significantly over time; once considered a copy, the painting was authenticated as an autograph work in the 1970s following research by Denis Mahon, Mina Gregori, and Benedict Nicolson. While traditionally interpreted as representing the active versus contemplative aspects of faith, recent scholarship by Pietro Caiazza has challenged this subject identification, proposing a reading linked specifically to the Aldobrandini patronage. The work's influence is evidenced by later versions from Orazio Gentileschi and Carlo Saraceni.

Following its rediscovery and subsequent authentication in the 1970s, Caravaggio's painting demonstrated a notable influence, evidenced by several known copies. Among the most significant works inspired by the composition are a now-lost painting by Carlo Saraceni and a well-known version by Orazio Gentileschi, currently held in Munich.

Created around 1598, this oil painting is attributed to Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, a leading figure of the Italian Baroque. It is part of the collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts and is also known by several alternative titles, including Martha Reproving Mary, The Conversion of the Magdalene, and the Alzaga Caravaggio.