Maria Magdalena
1627 - 1720
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
131; 160
About this artwork
hoogte 160 cm x breedte 131 cm
Art Historical Context
Guido Reni's *Maria Magdalena* (c 1627), an oil on canvas measuring 160 x 131 cm, captures Baroque master's signature elegance in depicting the penitent saint. Reni, a leading figure of the Bolognese school (157–1642), blended classical grace with emotional intensity, influenced by the Carracci brothers and Caravaggio's dramatic lighting. This large-scale work, now housed in the Rijks, likely served as a devotional piece, inviting viewers into Mary Magdalene's spiritual ecstasy—a popular Counter-Reformation theme emphasizing redemption and divine love. Reni's technique shines in the soft, lum...
About the Artist
Guido Reni · 1575–1642
Guido Reni (1575–1642) was one of the most celebrated Italian painters of the Baroque era and the dominant figure of the Bolognese School. Born into a family of musicians in Bologna, he trained first with Denys Calvaert before joining the influential Accademia degli Incamminati led by Ludovico Carracci. Reni achieved international fame through his idealizing style that combined Baroque dynamism wi...