Artwork
Büßende Magdalena
Büßende Magdalena is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Giovanni Lanfranco. It dates from 1614 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
In this painting, the Magdalene is shown kneeling with her hands clasped in prayer, her gaze lifted upward in an attitude of contrition and spiritual yearning.
The work depicts the Penitent Magdalene, a figure drawn from Christian tradition who, after a life of sin, repents and devotes herself to prayer and contemplation.
In this painting, the Magdalene is shown kneeling with her hands clasped in prayer, her gaze lifted upward in an attitude of contrition and spiritual yearning. The composition emphasizes her penitence and the hope of divine mercy, aligning with Counter-Reformation themes that valorized repentance and the transformative power of faith. The subdued palette and restrained modeling further underscore the introspective and devotional character of the scene.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, with the support prepared in a traditional ground typical of early Baroque practice. Lanfranco’s handling emphasizes fluid, luminous modeling of the Magdalene’s form, contrasting sharply illuminated flesh with softly diffused light across drapery. The brushwork remains largely invisible, favoring a seamless, enamel-like finish that heightens the devotional immediacy of the subject.
Compositional clarity and restrained dynamism guide the viewer’s gaze along the figure’s inclined posture and downward glance, while the restrained palette, dominated by warm ochres and cool shadows, anchors the scene in a meditative mood.
History & Provenance
Created in 1614 by Giovanni Lanfranco, the painting depicts a penitent Mary Magdalene and was commissioned for devotional purposes. It measures 87.7 cm in height and 140 cm in width and is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, currently housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The work entered the collection through the Bavarian State Painting Collections and remains there today.
Giovanni Lanfranco's painting Büßende Magdalena (1614) is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections. The work is specifically located within the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. As a religious artwork depicting the Penitent Magdalene, it remains part of this major German public collection.
Overview
The painting Büßende Magdalena, created by Giovanni Lanfranco in 1614, is an early example of Italian Baroque art. It is part of the Alte Pinakothek collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Lanfranco (26 January 1582 – 30 November 1647) was an Italian Baroque painter. He was a distinguished artist of the Bolognese school, deeply influenced by Annibale Carracci's’ classicism.
Allegorie des Handels (Peperit discordia Foedus)
The Penitent Saint Mary Magdalene
Hl. Magdalena
Thisbe's Suicide by the Body Pyramus
Hagar und Ismael
Måneskinslandskab med mytologisk (?) motiv
Christus und die Apostel am Ölberg
Die Opferung Isaaks (Replik?)
The Annunciation
Thisbe's Suicide by the Body Pyramus