The Penitent Magdalene by De LaTour in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 2019

The Penitent Magdalen
ca. 1640


Object Details

Title: The Penitent Magdalen

Artist: Georges de La Tour (French, Vic-sur-Seille 1593–1653 Lunéville)

Date: ca. 1640

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 52 1/2 x 40 1/4 in. (133.4 x 102.2 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1978

Accession Number: 1978.517


A sinner, perhaps a courtesan, Mary Magdalen was a witness of Christ who renounced the pleasures of the flesh for a life of penance and contemplation. She is shown with a mirror, symbol of vanity; a skull, emblem of mortality; and a candle that probably stands for her spiritual enlightenment. The style of La Tour, a native of the duchy of Lorraine in eastern France, is much indebted to Caravaggesque painting. The contrast of candlelight and shadow, the pure geometry of form, and the meditative mood characterize the pictures for which he is famous.


Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436839