Penitent Mary Magdalene, Jean Baptiste Santerre (1651-1717)

Mary Magdalene, disciple of Jesus, is an emblematic figure of Christianity; she is the only woman who accompanied Jesus and witnessed his ascension to heaven; she is nicknamed the apostle to the apostles by many.
 The light of twilight invaded his retreat and his body.
 With her hair loose and her face unpainted, she is dressed in a simple but high-quality vermilion red garment, synonymous with beauty but also with passion for Jesus, from which the whiteness of her skin emanates, creating an atmosphere blending spirituality, humanity, and sensuality.
 Her gaze is fixed on a skull which she holds in her hand in the manner of Saint Jerome.
 The skull is a reminder of the brevity of earthly life.
 Scattered pearls on the carpet signify sincere love and purity; a ring set back conveys his decision. Louis XIV, when visiting Jean-Baptiste Santerre's studio, was not mistaken; the painting appealed to him, the Sun King, the great monarch. He learns that it is a commissioned painting for a collector; what the king wants, the king gets; the painting of Mary Magdalene will be hung in the King's apartments. (Inventory of the King's Paintings by Nicolas Bailly, 1709 (BnF ref. 0² 1972)). Several versions were commissioned and executed by Jean-Baptiste Santerre with the help of Blandine Blanchot, his companion and principal collaborator. In particular, an enlargement of the work, 14 inches wider, was paid for by King Louis XIV for 200 livres to Jean-Baptiste Santerre in 1712; dimensions: 81.7 cm x 138 cm (Inventory of the King's Paintings by Nicolas Bailly, BnF ref.: 01 1972). Inch conversion: 2.702 cm. A canvas measuring 113.5 cm x 92 cm (42 inches x 34 inches) was restored in 1789 at the Louvre, "Santerre, Penitent Magdalene: much repainting and grime repaired in damaged areas for 50 livres" (BnF Louvre expense ledger 1789 ANO1931). Life of Jean-Baptiste Santerre: Born in Magny-en-Vexin in 1651, after a brief apprenticeship in drawing with a minor master, he joined the studio of the painter Bon Boullogne around 1676, where his work was highly regarded. After opening a small studio in Paris, he produced numerous portraits in a classical style, but always striving for perfection, he studied anatomy for several years, and his style moved away from academic conventions to capture moments of life, introducing psychology into his paintings, and daring to depict figures far removed from the usual poses: the dreamer, the sleeping girl, the beggar… Success followed; he exhibited at the Salon and in 1704, he was admitted to the Academy of Painting. His painting "Susanna and the Elders" is now in the Louvre Museum. He became painter to the king and was housed in the Louvre from 1708. He died prematurely in 1717, and Blandine Blanchot was his sole heir. Beautiful period frame.
 Dimensions without frame: 103 cm x 100 cm
 Dimensions with frame: 134 cm x 131 cm