Studies of the Mourning Magdalen and the Virgin c. 1635 - 1636

This is a study by Rembrandt van Rijn from the 1630s of figures associated with the story of Mary Magdalene, a significant figure in Christianity, often portrayed as a repentant sinner. The drawing features several quick sketches of the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and other unnamed figures, all rendered in black chalk and red chalk. The artist's dynamic linework and expressiveness of the figures, even in these preliminary sketches, foreshadows his later masterpieces. These studies, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, are a testament to Rembrandt's mastery of drawing and the evolution of his artistic process.