Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Luca Cambiaso (Moneglia, 1527 – Madrid, 1585), a member of the circle of or follower of
The Penitent Magdalene
Oil on canvas 102 x 84 cm. - Framed 123 x 104 cm.
The protagonist of the work is a devout Saint Mary Magdalene, recognizable for her simple beauty, her disheveled clothes recalling her past as a sinner, and her long, loose hair flowing over her shoulders.
She is portrayed in a moment of deep contemplation and atonement, with her arms delicately folded across her chest to form a cross, symbolically expressing her desire for total participation in the Passion of Christ.
This gesture, particularly common in the iconography of the saint, symbolizes her mystical union with the Redeemer’s suffering and her total submission to the faith.
We see her in profile, with a meditative gaze full of emotion, evoking repentance, directed toward the crucifix, the open book, and the skull—the three canonical symbols of her iconography.
She is draped in a soft cloth held by her arms, leaving her shoulders bare—a simple yet distinctly feminine pose, striking a perfect balance between the sensuality of the sinner and her spiritual asceticism. She is thus portrayed with the typical ambivalence between the sacred and the profane that defines her figure, in a perfect balance between the sensuality of the sinner and her spiritual asceticism in repentance.
It is not difficult to appreciate the skill of its creator, active in the 17th century; the compositional style and approach point to the work being attributed to a skilled follower or a master from the circle of the Genoese painter Luca Cambiaso (Moneglia, 1527 – Madrid, 1585), one of the most fascinating representatives of Italian Mannerism.
Throughout his career, he traveled between Genoa, Rome, and Emilia, coming into contact with the most important artistic movements of his time. His painting, as is clearly evident in this work, reflects a multitude of influences; trained in the Mannerist tradition by following the examples of the greatest artists of the time, he laid the groundwork for Genoa’s most fruitful artistic period. His subjects also reveal delicate imagery and Venetian colorism.
The flesh tones, touched by a diaphanous luminosity, belong to the mature phase of his production, which also denotes a clear desire to renew his expressive refinement.
From a draftsmanship perspective, we can discern strong similarities with the famous Penitent Mary Magdalene by Giovanni Francesco Guerrieri (Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, Fano), which our artist, while personalizing it, must certainly have had the opportunity to study.
The painting is in good condition.
Delevery information :
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Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
