Artwork
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Pietro Novelli. It dates from 1636 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Her portrayal emphasizes contemplative stillness, aligning with iconographic conventions of the period that depict her in moments of spiritual reflection.
The painting presents Mary Magdalene in a devotional context, rendered as a penitent figure within the religious tradition of 17th-century European art. Her portrayal emphasizes contemplative stillness, aligning with iconographic conventions of the period that depict her in moments of spiritual reflection. The work, created by Pietro Novelli in 1636, measures 120 cm by 100 cm and was executed in oil on canvas, a medium consistent with ecclesiastical and private devotional paintings of the time.
Technique & Style
Oil paint on canvas forms the material basis of Pietro Novelli’s 1636 work. The painting measures 120 cm in height by 100 cm in width and depicts Mary Magdalene in a devotional composition. Rendered in a naturalistic Baroque style, the piece employs chiaroscuro to model the figure’s form and drapery, while the brushwork remains restrained and precise. The surface condition is stable, with no visible cracking or loss noted in the cited record.
The composition emphasizes intimate contemplation through careful handling of light and gesture, reflecting the artist’s technical command within the religious painting genre.
History & Provenance
Mary Magdalene is an oil painting on canvas created by Pietro Novelli in 1636. The work entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains held today. No further details regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or earlier provenance are documented in the available sources.
Pietro Novelli's oil painting Mary Magdalene, dated 1636, is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The work is executed on canvas and measures 120 cm in height by 100 cm in width. Specific inventory or accession numbers for the piece are not provided in the available records. The sources do not document any exhibition history for this specific artwork.
Overview
Created in 1636 by the Sicilian Baroque artist Pietro Novelli, this oil painting portrays the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. Executed in the early Baroque idiom, the work is part of the collection of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it is displayed among other religious genre pieces.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pietro Novelli (March 2, 1603 – August 27, 1647) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Palermo.
