The Penitent Mary Magdalene 1590 - 1642

This is an oil on canvas depiction of ‘The Penitent Mary Magdalene’ by an unknown artist. We can read the image as part of a cultural history in which the figure of Mary Magdalene embodies shifting social and religious attitudes toward female sexuality. Here, Magdalene isn’t depicted in biblical garb, but with bared shoulders and flowing hair. This imagery references the Magdalene’s history as a prostitute. The painting may originate from 16th or 17th century Europe. The Catholic church was defining its visual codes for art, often through decrees from church councils. The image attempts to negotiate sacred and secular ideas about the female body at a time when the Church was actively defining and policing norms around the gender. To learn more, one could consult the records of religious orders and institutions that commissioned art or examine conduct books and sermons that reflect attitudes toward female sexuality. The image’s meaning is inseparable from its historical moment.