The Penitent Magdalen

Gerrit Dou and his followers are known as the Leiden Fijnschilders (the “fine-painters” of Leiden). Their paintings are characterized by their small size and a level of detail that is often astounding. In the Bible here, one can almost make out every single page and every single letter. The motif, as well as the way the artist has rendered it, testifies to influences of similar paintings by Rembrandt, under whom Gerrit Dou had studied. This painting was once owned by Queen Christina.