Observation of The Penitent Magdalene. Written by Andrea Piaget.

The Penitent Magdalene, c. 1640, is one of many great paintings in the oeuvre of French Baroque painter Georges de la Tour, 1593-1652. Born in Vic-sur-Seille, he spent most of his career in Duché de Lorraine, in Northeastern France, near Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. He is known for his chiaroscuro scenes illuminated by candlelight. The Penitent Magdalene, an embodiment of baroque naturalism, a style that combines the dramatic lighting and emotional intensity of the Baroque period with a realistic depiction of the natural world, renders de la Tour's artistry and style, influenced by the works of Italian painter Caravaggio, 1571-1610, whose artistic influence, characterized by its striking use of light and shadow, likely reached de la Tour through the Dutch Caravaggisti of the Utrecht School and other Northern French and Dutch contemporaries such as Hendrick ter Brugghen, 1588-1629.  

The composition shows the sitter at peace, her focus contemplating what is most important to her, her soul. A calm, balmy light illuminates her chest, neck, and profile, making her skin almost look translucent. This use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a dramatic effect, creates a sense of depth and three-dimensionality, enhancing the realism of the painting. The light also highlights the sitter's features, drawing the viewer's attention to her contemplative expression and the symbolic elements of the painting. The silk red fabric with long horizontal details threaded with a golden thread drapes from her waist, cascading downward, covering her feet. On it rests the skull over her knees on the scarlet silk modestly illuminated by candlelight, communicating victory over the lower faculties.  

The sitter's hands, gently intertwined and resting on the skull above her knees, serve as a powerful symbol of her acceptance of the fleeting nature of physical life. This delicate gesture invites us to reflect on the impermanence of our earthly existence. Both the sitter and the skull serve as reminders that death is the ultimate destination of our earthly journey, drawing our attention to the essence of the painting, her gaze, turned inward towards her soul. This signifies a conscious decision to prioritize spiritual purification over worldly pursuits. This poignant gesture underscores the painting's profound theme of spiritual transformation, the renunciation of earthly desires, and the atonement of Marie Magdalene to Christ.  

At the bottom of the hierarchy, superficial vanities and distractions from accurate perception lie discarded on the floor. These are symbolized by simple, unilluminated jewelry, representing the material possessions and worldly desires that the sitter has renounced in her pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. As we look further upward, the skull, with its hollow eyes, looks at the pearls, an emblem of purity and virginity, as if knowing that genuine wisdom earned through proper sacrifice nurtures the spirit, the immaterial music of a person's soul.  

The richly layered pearls on her desk symbolize a treasure that often fills the coffers of royalty and ornaments the crowns of queens, telling us of Marie Magdalene's grace and sanctity in the kingdom of heaven. In this context, the pearls can also represent the Christian virtues and spiritual insights the sitter has gained through her repentance and devotion, pathways to sanctity.  

There is an oblong pearl, resembling an earring, closer to Marie Magdalene, under the candélabre holding the light that stems from it. The positioning of the pearls, candèlabre, candle, and flame over her desk and in front of the mirror illuminating her chest and profile suggests that wisdom, repentance, sanctity, and focus on what is good hold the purification of her intellect toward truth and the beckoning beauty of the charisms of the Holy Spirit.  

The candle is reflected in the mirror, reiterating that Marie Magdalene looks at the constant transformation of her spirit towards higher levels of sanctity and closer proximity to Christ over earthly vanities while being an incarnate soul in the world of matter. This masterpiece of art is also known as Magdalene with Two Flames. It is 133.4 centimeters tall by 102.2 centimeters wide; in America, it is 52.5 inches tall by 40.2 inches wide. The Penitent Magdalene is at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  

Georges de La Tour also painted two more paintings of Marie Magdalene, both of which are housed in the United States. One of these two is The Repentant Magdalene, an oil on canvas painting from c.1635-1640, exhibited at The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The third painting of Georges de La Tour, mentioned here, is The Magdalene with The Smoking Flame, an oil on canvas painting from c.1635-1637 exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.