Penitent Magdelene
Sul dipinto
Tradition holds that Saint Mary Magdalene, a close follower of Jesus Christ, retreated to a cave in penitence during the final years of her life. Here, she clutches her purple robes and looks up at the bright divine light that falls upon her. Two attributes, or identifying symbols, of the saint are displayed on the rock next to her: the skull, a reminder of the inevitability of death, and the cross, a symbol of her personal devotion to Christ and his teachings.
The markings at the bottom of the canvas, the number 629 and the fleur-de-lis symbol, indicate that this painting was item number 629 in the royal inventory of Queen Isabella Farnese of Spain.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Scheda
- Numero di inventario
- 82.23
Nel frattempo, nella vita di Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Tutta la vita1645–1648
First Major Commission
In the year of his wedding Murillo received his first major commission — eleven paintings of Franciscan saints for the Convent of San Francisco in Seville; he worked on them from 1645 to 1648.
1658–1660
Period in Madrid
From 1658 to 1660 Murillo lived in Madrid, after which he returned to Seville.
1660
Co-founder of the Academy of Fine Arts
Murillo became one of the founders of the Academy of Fine Arts in Seville and in 1660 shared its direction with Francisco Herrera the Younger.
1 January 1664
Death of His Wife
After his wife's death on 1 January 1664, Murillo's way of life changed, but there began the period of his greatest activity, with many important commissions.
May 1665
Admitted to the Brotherhood of Charity
In May 1665 Murillo was admitted to the Seville Brotherhood of Charity, for which he executed works.
