Death of the Magdalene

Title

Description

These images represent the death of Mary Magdalen. The first image represents Magdalen lying down semi-covered by a cloth and holding a cross over her chest. A group of angels sing and play instruments over her, and a skull without any specific gender traits rests on her right. This representation is unique in that it shows the body of a dying young woman without any Momento Mori connotations. Her clothes are both a shroud and an erotic cloth.

Creator

Image 1: follower of Francesco Fontebasso (1709-1769)
Image 2: Callot, Jacques (1592-1635)

Source

Image 1:
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, US.
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.54068.html

Archived in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200922185814/https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.54068.html

Accession Number: 1973.64.5

Image 2:
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, US.
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.36872.html

Archived in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20201229020118/https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.36872.html

Accession Number: 1949.5.418

Date

Image 1: 1750, c.
Image 2: 1630, c.

Format

Image 1:
Pen and brown ink on laid paper.
Dimensions: 52.9 × 39.2 cm

Image 2:
Etching.
Dimensions: Unknown