Mary Magdalene reading in the desert
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Plate: 14 1/2 × 17 11/16 in. (36.8 × 45 cm) Sheet: 15 9/16 in. × 19 in. (39.5 × 48.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Lucy Chauncey, in memory of her father, Henry Chauncey, 1935
Accession Number
35.85.99
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Mary Magdalene Reading in the Desert*, a captivating 19th-century engraving an original composition by the High master Correggio (Antonio Alleg da Correggio, 1489–1534). Correggio, celebrated for his innovative use of soft, glowing light (known as *sfumato*) and graceful figures, often depicted biblical subjects with emotional depth. Here, the penitent saint Mary Magdalene is shown in contemplative solitude amid a rugged desert landscape, engrossed in scripture—a poignant symbol of spiritual reflection and redemption in Christian iconography. Crafted between 1827 and 1875 by engravers...