Boetvaardige Maria Magdalena 1625 - 1677

Editor: This is Jan Gerritsz van Bronckhorst’s “Boetvaardige Maria Magdalena,” or “Repentant Mary Magdalene,” an etching from between 1625 and 1677, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. I’m immediately struck by the roughness of the lines – they seem to communicate a raw emotion. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: My focus goes directly to the materiality of this work. Bronckhorst chose etching – a process involving acid, metal plates, and significant labor. He could have opted for painting. Why the laborious process of printmaking to depict such a potent, intimate scene of repentance? Editor: Perhaps the process itself reflects the labor of repentance, the painstaking journey towards absolution? Curator: Precisely. The multiple steps, the physical effort – it echoes the inner struggle. Notice the contrast between the detailed skull and the looser rendering of Mary Magdalene’s robes. The skull, a material object, is sharply defined, almost fetishized. What does that tell us? Editor: That makes me think about the material nature of sin and forgiveness. The etching captures sin's heavy presence through this focus on material decay and mortality, while repentance offers liberation from material constraints. Curator: Consider also the dissemination of prints during this period. This wasn't a unique artwork destined for a wealthy patron’s private collection, but designed for broader consumption, making it a more widely accessible depiction of a moral lesson. How does that affect our interpretation? Editor: It highlights how accessible religious morality was for the public! What I appreciate is how this focus on the medium helps ground what might seem like just another religious image into a commentary on craft and consumption. Thank you for the insight! Curator: Indeed. Examining the ‘how’ informs the ‘why’ in so many ways, transforming our reading of the subject itself.