Artwork
Landscape with Magdalen Worshipping the Cross

Landscape with Magdalen Worshipping the Cross is an oil painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Gaspard Dughet. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work represents a moment of religious contemplation, where the landscape serves not merely as a view but as a stage for the saint's worship.
The painting depicts the religious figure Mary Magdalene within a landscape setting, combining the genres of landscape and religious art. The central subject shows Magdalene in an act of devotion, specifically worshipping the cross. This iconographic focus transforms the natural scenery into a spiritual backdrop for her penitence and faith.
The work represents a moment of religious contemplation, where the landscape serves not merely as a view but as a stage for the saint's worship.
Technique & Style
Created in 1660, Landscape with Magdalen Worshipping the Cross is executed in oil paint on canvas. The work measures 76 cm in height and 130 cm in width. As a landscape painting that also incorporates religious art elements, it depicts the figure of Mary Magdalene within a natural setting.
The piece is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, having been located at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
History & Provenance
Landscape with Magdalen Worshipping the Cross is an oil painting on canvas created in 1660 by Gaspard Dughet. The work measures 76 by 130 centimeters and depicts Mary Magdalene in a religious landscape setting. After its creation, the painting entered the Spanish royal collection, first recorded in the possession of Ferdinand VII of Spain, later passing to Charles III and Philip V of Spain. It remains part of the Museo del Prado’s collection, specifically housed in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
Landscape with Magdalen Worshipping the Cross is held by the Museo del Prado in Madrid, with the work also associated with the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. The painting has passed through the Spanish royal collections, having been owned by Philip V of Spain, Charles III of Spain, and Ferdinand VII of Spain before entering the museum's holdings. Dated to 1660, the oil on canvas measures 76 cm in height by 130 cm in width.
No exhibition history beyond its placement within the Museo del Prado and Royal Palace of Aranjuez is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1660, this oil painting by Gaspard Dughet portrays a quiet natural setting in which a solitary figure kneels before a cross. The composition balances a foreground of verdant foliage with distant mountains, using light and shade to convey atmospheric depth. The work is part of the collection of the Museo del Prado.
Context
Dughet, a pupil of Nicolas Poussin, specialized in idealized pastoral scenes that blend classical composition with realistic detail. This work exemplifies his approach of inserting biblical narratives into harmonious countryside settings, a practice common among Baroque artists seeking to merge devotional content with the visual pleasures of nature.
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