Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 16

Unknown
19th Century Oil on Canvas Italian Painting Penitent Mary Magdalene, 1840

1840

$27,676.97
£20,490.73
€23,000
CA$38,320.71
A$41,837.04
CHF 21,933.45
MX$508,126.97
NOK 273,913.07
SEK 258,646.97
DKK 175,103.91

About the Item

A magnificent 19th-century Italian painting. Painting oil on canvas, on the first canvas, depicts a splendid penitent Magdalene, captured in a moment of intense mystical contemplation. A central figure in Christian tradition, Magdalene is the emblem of the redeemed sinner who, having retreated to a hermitage, dedicates herself to solitary prayer in a cave. The Saint, wrapped in a blue cloak that leaves her pure white torso exposed, rests her hands on a skull, flanked by an open book and a cross: clear iconographic symbols of meditation on the transience of life and penance. These elements in the foreground are rendered with a more textured and full-bodied brushstroke, accentuating their three-dimensionality and lending depth to the composition. The enameled smoothness of the complexion, the intensity of her gaze, and the delicate idealization of the woman hark back to the 19th-century neoclassical tradition. The painting is indeed attributed to the painter Giuseppe Molteni (1800-1867), a leading figure in the Milanese art scene who pioneered the genre of environmental portraiture, placing him in direct competition with Francesco Hayez. (The painting is not currently accompanied by an expert opinion, but it can be requested upon payment of the relevant additional costs.) Artwork of great emotional and spiritual power, ideal for collectors and refined environments, both classic and modern. The image of Mary Magdalene, suspended between sensual beauty and redemption, retains its symbolic power and undeniable allure. Contemporary frame in carved and gilded wood, beautifully decorated, with some signs of aging. The painting has already been restored, with some color restoration in places, but is in overall good condition. Internal size: H 89 x W 72 cm.
  • Creation Year:
    1840
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 42.92 in (109 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 2.37 in (6 cm)
  • More Editions & Sizes:
    Internal size: H 89 x W 72 cm.Price: $27,677
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Vicoforte, IT
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 010711stDibs: LU2788216942662

More From This Seller

View All
18th Century Oil on Canvas Italian Religious Painting Virgin of Sorrows, 1770
Located in Vicoforte, IT
Antique Italian painting from the second half of the 18th century. Religious painting depicting the Virgin of Sorrows, of excellent pictorial quality. Oil on canvas framework recentl...
Category

1770s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

18th Century Oil on Canvas Spanish Religious Painting Virgin with Christ, 1750
Located in Vicoforte, IT
Antique Spanish painting from 18th century. Framework oil on canvas depicting a religious subject Piety, Virgin with deposed Christ, of good pictorial quality. Large size and impact ...
Category

1770s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

18th Century Oil on Canvas Biblical Italian Painting Judith and Holofernes
Located in Vicoforte, IT
Wonderful Italian painting from the first half of the 18th century. Oil on canvas artwork depicting a fascinating biblical story, the beheading of the Babylonian leader Holofernes by...
Category

1720s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century Oil on Panel French Neoclassical Painting Amintas, 1830
Located in Vicoforte, IT
Antique French painting from the first half of the 19th century. Oil on oak panel artwork of excellent pictorial quality depicting a Neoclassical subject entitled Amintas (Aminta), f...
Category

1830s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

17th Century Italian Oil on Canvas Portrait Painting, 1680
Located in Vicoforte, IT
Antique Italian painting from the second half of the 17th century. Oil on canvas artwork depicting a portrait of an old lady, The widow of the pharmacist from Trento, of good pictori...
Category

1680s Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pair of 17th Century Oil on Canvas Italian Antique Paintings Sibyls, 1670s
Located in Vicoforte, IT
Rare pair of Italian paintings from the second half of the 17th century. Oil on canvas artworks depicting two splendid female figures recognizable thanks to the inscriptions at the b...
Category

1670s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

You May Also Like

Mary Magdalene - Oil on Canvas by Italian School 19th cent.
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on canvas. cm 60.5 x 2 x 50 Nice Oil painting (Italian School of XIX century) with a rapid sign and intense colors backgrpound. Some color cracking on left margin and top edge, ...
Category

18th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Penitent Mary Magdalene - Old Master religious art portrait oil painting
By Guido Reni
Located in Hagley, England
This is a superb Italian Old Master portrait oil painting attributed to circle of Guido Reni. It is a half length portrait of the penitent Mary Magdalene...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Fine 18th Century Oil - Mary Magdalene
Located in Corsham, GB
A striking 18th century oil depicting a pious Mary Magdalene. The artist portrays the saint with long, flowing blonde hair and penitent tears in her eyes. A skull at her hands remind...
Category

Early 18th Century Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Penitent Mary Magdalene, Baroque Oil on Canvas, Late 17th–Early 18th Century, Or
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Spanish or Italian School of the 18th century. "Penitent Mary Magdalene." Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 97 x 76 cm; 76 x 57 cm (frame). The figure of Mary Magdalene appears in a red tu...
Category

Late 17th Century Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

18th Century by Pietro Bardellino Mary Magdalene Painting Oil on Canvas
By Pietro Bardellino
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Pietro Bardellino (Naples, Italy, 1731 – 1806) Title: Mary Magdalene Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 75 x 60 cm – with frame 97 x 82 cm Antique shaped and carved wood...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The Penitent Magdalene - Italian Baroque Old Master art portrait oil painting
By Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Il Guercino)
Located in Hagley, England
This stunning Italian Baroque Old Master portrait oil painting is attributed to the circle of Guercino, Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (1591 - 1666) and it is ascribed verso. The paint...
Category

17th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil