Artwork
Penitent Mary Magdalene
Penitent Mary Magdalene is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Flaminio Torre. It dates from 1655 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
These elements reinforce her identity as a contemplative figure who withdrew from worldly life to devote herself to prayer and reflection.
The painting depicts the Penitent Mary Magdalene, a devotional subject rooted in Christian tradition. Mary Magdalene is shown in a posture of penitence and contemplation, embodying her transformation from sinner to saint and serving as a model of repentance and spiritual renewal for the viewer.
The iconography of the Penitent Magdalene typically includes attributes such as an ointment jar or book, symbols of her anointing of Christ and her meditation on scripture. These elements reinforce her identity as a contemplative figure who withdrew from worldly life to devote herself to prayer and reflection.
As a religious work, the painting functions both as a portrait of a specific saint and as a meditation on themes of conversion, mercy, and redemption, inviting viewers to contemplate the possibility of spiritual transformation.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas, documented with dimensions of 99 cm in height and 132 cm in width. It portrays Mary Magdalene in a moment of penitential contemplation, rendered with chiaroscuro modeling that emphasizes her withdrawn expression and the tactile rendering of drapery. The brushwork exhibits a restrained, naturalistic handling characteristic of mid‑seventeenth‑century Roman religious painting, while the composition balances intimate narrative focus with a muted palette that underscores the subject's spiritual withdrawal.
History & Provenance
The Penitent Mary Magdalene by Flaminio Torre is dated 1655 and entered the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it remains in the collection.
The painting’s early commission and provenance are otherwise undocumented, with no record of its first owner or the circumstances of its creation beyond the artist’s documented activity in that year.
Flaminio Torre's Penitent Mary Magdalene, dated 1655, is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The painting, which depicts the religious subject of the Penitent Magdalene, is part of the museum's permanent holdings. No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available records, nor is there information regarding a distinct exhibition history for this work.
Overview
Flaminio Torri’s Penitent Mary Magdalene (1655) is an oil painting belonging to the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s collection. Executed during the early Italian Baroque, the work reflects the Bolognese school’s emphasis on dramatic narrative and emotive expression. The canvas presents a solitary, kneeling woman surrounded by a dark, turbulent backdrop, creating a stark visual contrast that draws the viewer’s attention to her contemplative pose.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Flaminio Torri (19 May 1620 – 6 August 1661) was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School, active during the Baroque period.
