Artwork
Saint Mary Magdalene
Saint Mary Magdalene is an oil painting by the Realist artist Gebhard Flatz. It is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The medium and support, oil paint on canvas, support the artist’s methodical approach, allowing for gradual layering and glazing to achieve a polished surface.
The Saint Mary Magdalene by Gebhard Flatz is painted in oil on canvas, completed in 1876. The work exhibits the refined, smooth handling typical of academic religious painting of the period, with careful modeling of form and subtle transitions in tone to convey three-dimensionality. The figure is rendered with precise anatomical detail and a restrained palette, emphasizing piety and contemplation rather than dramatic expression.
The composition centers on the standing Magdalene, whose flowing robes and serene demeanor align with the religious genre’s conventions of the time.
The medium and support, oil paint on canvas, support the artist’s methodical approach, allowing for gradual layering and glazing to achieve a polished surface. Dimensions are 96.5 cm in height by 75.5 cm in width.
History & Provenance
The oil painting titled Saint Mary Magdalene was created by Gebhard Flatz in 1876. Executed on canvas, the work depicts the religious figure Mary Magdalene and measures 96.5 cm in height by 75.5 cm in width. While the specific commission details and original ownership chain are not documented in the available records, the piece is currently held in a major Austrian collection.
It is associated with both the Belvedere and the Kunsthistorisches Museum, indicating its presence within these significant institutions.
The painting Saint Mary Magdalene by Gebhard Flatz, created in 1876, is held in the collection of the Belvedere in Vienna. While some records associate the work with the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the primary location is listed as the Belvedere. The source material does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece.
Furthermore, no exhibition history is documented in the available references, leaving the work's display record unverified within this dataset.
Overview
The painting Saint Mary Magdalene is an oil-on-canvas work created by Austrian artist Gebhard Flatz in 1888. It is a representative example of a religious-themed painting from the Realism movement.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Mary Magdalene kneeling in a rocky landscape, surrounded by symbols of her devotion, including a skull, book, and cross. Her upward gaze and halo signify her spiritual contemplation.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Johann Gebhard Flatz (11 June 1800 in Wolfurt – 19 May 1881 in Bregenz) was an Austrian painter of the Nazarene movement.
