Saint Mary Magdalen Holding a Crucifix; (reverse) The Flagellation

Art Historical Context

This striking double-sided panel by Spinello Aretino, painted around 1395–1400, presents Saint Mary Magdalen on one side holding a crucifix, her flowing robes and golden halo rendered against a luminous gold ground that evokes the divine realm. The reverse depicts the Flagellation of Christ, creating a powerful juxtaposition of penitence and suffering. As a leading Sienese painter of the late fourteenth century, Spinello worked in the graceful, linear style of the International Gothic, blending delicate patterning with expressive narrative detail to heighten devotional impact. Executed in tem...