Artwork
Die reuige Magdalena
Die reuige Magdalena is an unspecified painting by the Barbizon school artist Johann Carl Loth. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As the main subject, the Penitent Magdalene represents themes of contrition and spiritual redemption common in Christian iconography.
Johann Carl Loth's 1665 painting, titled Die reuige Magdalena, depicts Mary Magdalene as the Penitent Magdalene. The work falls within the genre of religious art, focusing specifically on the biblical figure in a state of repentance. As the main subject, the Penitent Magdalene represents themes of contrition and spiritual redemption common in Christian iconography.
The painting is currently held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and displayed at the Alte Pinakothek.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 97 by 79 centimeters, depicting the Penitent Magdalene in a devotional composition characteristic of 17th-century religious painting. Johann Carl Loth rendered the figure with naturalistic expression and chiaroscuro modeling, reflecting Baroque stylistic conventions. The painting has been part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections since its acquisition and is currently housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
History & Provenance
Die reuige Magdalena is a 1665 painting by Johann Carl Loth depicting a Penitent Magdalene. It belongs to the religious genre and measures 97 cm in height by 79 cm in width. The work is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has been displayed at the Alte Pinakothek since its creation.
Context
The painting Die reuige Magdalena by Johann Carl Loth depicts Mary Magdalene in a penitent state, reflecting Counter-Reformation themes of repentance and spiritual transformation. Its creation in 1665 aligns with Loth's active period in Rome and Bavaria, where he contributed to religious art for elite patrons, situating the work within the broader context of 17th-century Counter-Reformation visual culture. The painting is housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, ensuring its preservation and scholarly accessibility.
This placement underscores its significance within the evolution of penitent Magdalene imagery in European art, a motif that underwent theological and artistic reinterpretation during the Baroque era.
Overview
Johann Carl Loth’s 1665 oil painting, titled Die reuige Magdalena, presents a solitary figure of Mary Magdalene. The work is housed in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek and exemplifies the somber devotional imagery typical of mid‑seventeenth‑century Catholic art.
Artist & collection
