The Penitent Magdalene
The Penitent Magdalene c1635 by Italian Painter Guido Reni (1575 – 1642); an Italian artist of the High Baroque Style, he primarily painted religious themes, as well as mythological and allegorical pieces.
This is a magnificently beautiful portrait of Mary Magdalene who was saved by Jesus by the mob that wanted to stone her for adultery.
She is simply dressed in partially worn robe attire of three different colors, an off white, light blueish grey and red.
Sitting in a chair by a marble table, she has her left hand resting over a human skull with a long erect cross held between her index and thumb; while her right opened hand is placed across her chest.
Mary is looking to her right as the warm glow of streaming light from heaven shines through an elevated window, illuminating her golden hair and face in its warm eternal glow; and above her head we can see a faint outline of a yellow halo.
The skull and the cross indicate that she is meditating on the shortness of life and the salvation, made possible by the death of Jesus Christ, The Son Of GOD on the Cross
This is a retouched digital art old masters reproduction of a public domain image that is available as a metal, canvas, acrylic and wood print online.
Use this link to purchase the Ornament Assets used in the frame of this piece; the bundle includes 400 elements of beautifully designed ornaments.
Info Below Derived From Wikipedia.org
Guido was born in Bologna, Italy to musicians Daniele Reni and Ginevra Pozzi; and at the age of nine was apprenticed to the Bolognese studio of Flemish Painter Denis Calvaert (1540 – 1619), who lived in Italy and who was also known as Dionisio Fiammingo or Il Fiammingo (The Fleming).
When Guido was about 20, he and his fellow artist at the Bolognese studio, Italian Baroque Painters Francesco Albani (1578 – 1660) and Domenico Zampieri (1581 – 1641), moved to the rival studio, Accademia degli Incamminati (Academy of the “newly embarked”, or progressives), which was led by Italian, early-Baroque painter, etcher, and printmaker Ludovico Carracci (1555 – 1619).
The trio then went on to form the core of a successful and prolific school of Bolognese painters who followed the cousin of Lodovico; Italian painter Annibale Carracci (1560 – 1609).
