Mary Magdalene (Scorel) Explained

Alt:An oil painting of Mary Magdalene in a landscape
Maria Magdalene
Artist:Jan van Scorel
Year:circa 1530
Medium:Oil on panel
Height Metric:67
Width Metric:76.5
Metric Unit:cm
Imperial Unit:in
City:Amsterdam
Museum:Rijksmuseum

Maria Magdalene is a circa 1530 oil on panel painting by the Dutch renaissance artist Jan van Scorel in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.[1]

Painting

Mary Magdalene is shown seated, holding a richly decorated pot of ointment in a fantasy landscape. Her bodice is embroidered with Hebrew lettering and her shawl shows the same pattern of Haarlem damast material that can be seen in Saint Luke painting the Virgin by Maarten van Heemskerck.

Provenance

This painting was in the collection of the Commanderij van Sint Jan in Haarlem and was appropriated in 1572 (as a work by Van Scorel) after the Beeldenstorm for the Haarlem City Hall. It was again appropriated by the national collection in 1804 (as an anonymous work) and has remained in the national collection on show in Amsterdam ever since, though it was on loan to the Frans Hals Museum for many years during the renovation of the Rijksmuseum.[2]

Exhibitions

This painting has been considered a highlight of the collection since it was acquired in 1804 and has been included in all Highlights of the Rijksmuseum catalogs.

References

Notes and References

  1. https://rkd.nl/explore/images/8324 painting record
  2. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/SK-A-372/catalogue-entry Catalog entry