Who painted The Magdalene?

The Magdalene was painted by Elihu Vedder in 1884.

Where can I see The Magdalene?

The Magdalene is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Magdalene?

The Magdalene is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of The Magdalene?

Museum-quality prints of The Magdalene are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Magdalene

Elihu Vedder , 1884

The Magdalene is a gouache drawing by the Impressionist artist Elihu Vedder. It dates from 1884 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower right in plate: COPYRIGHT 1839 E. VEDDER

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1884, The Magdalene is a mixed‑media drawing by American symbolist Elihu Vedder. Executed with crayon, gouasse, gold paint and graphite applied over a silver‑gelatin photographic print that has been mounted on board, the work measures roughly a modest size and presents a solitary female figure in a dim interior.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a woman curled inward, her head supported by a hand, draped in a loosely wrapped cloth. The surrounding space is shadowy, with indistinct hints of landscape, perhaps trees or water, beyond the immediate gloom. The muted palette and the figure’s contemplative posture suggest themes of penitence and introspection associated with the biblical Mary Magdalene.

Technique & Style

Vedder combined drawing and painting materials on a pre‑existing photographic base, allowing the silver gelatin print’s tonal values to inform the overall atmosphere. Soft, smudged lines in crayon and graphite create a hazy, almost ethereal effect, while selective gold accents highlight the hair and edge details, lending a subtle luminosity to the otherwise subdued tones.

History & Provenance

The work belongs to the period when Vedder was actively illustrating literary texts, notably his celebrated plates for Edward FitzGerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Though the drawing was never fully polished, it reflects his ongoing interest in allegorical subjects and his experimental use of mixed media during the late nineteenth century.