The Penitent Magdalen ca. 1640 Georges de La Tour French With its extreme contrasts of candlelight and shadow, the pure geometry of its forms, and meditative mood, this painting exemplifies La Tour’s work at its most accomplished and characteristic. A native of the duchy of Lorraine in eastern France, La Tour was much indebted to Caravaggesque painting, but tended towards even more simplified forms. The quiet atmosphere of this painting perfectly fits the subject, Mary Magdalen, a witness of Christ who renounced the pleasures of the flesh for a life of penance and contemplation. She is shown w
The Penitent Magdalen ca. 1640 Georges de La Tour French With its extreme contrasts of candlelight and shadow, the pure geometry of its forms, and meditative mood, this painting exemplifies La Tour’s work at its most accomplished and characteristic. A native of the duchy of Lorraine in eastern France, La Tour was much indebted to Caravaggesque painting, but tended towards even more simplified forms. The quiet atmosphere of this painting perfectly fits the subject, Mary Magdalen, a witness of Christ who renounced the pleasures of the flesh for a life of penance and contemplation. She is shown with a mirror, symbol of vanity; a skull, emblem of mortality; and a candle that probably stands for her spiritual The Penitent Magdalen. Georges de La Tour (French, Vic-sur-Seille 1593–1653 Lunéville). ca. 1640. Oil on canvas. Paintings
Size: 2611px × 3722px
Photo credit: © MET/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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