St. Mary Magdalen Trampling Her Valuables

Art Historical Context

This engraving captures the dramatic moment of Saint Mary Magdalene renouncing her former life of luxury. The saint is shown trampling jewels, fine fabrics, and other valuables beneath her feet, a powerful symbol of spiritual conversion and rejection of worldly pleasures. Created as a reverse copy after a design associated with Peter Paul Rubens, the print reflects the dynamic Baroque style of early 17th-century Antwerp, where dramatic religious imagery flourished. Lucas Vorsterman I, a skilled engraver who collaborated closely with Rubens, helped translate the master’s vivid compositions into widely circulated prints. Such engravings played a vital role in disseminating Counter-Reformation ideals across Europe, allowing devotional images to reach broader audiences beyond those who could afford paintings. The anonymous or collaborative nature of this reverse copy highlights how printmaking often involved multiple hands adapting celebrated designs. Measuring roughly 12 by 9 inches, the sheet’s intimate scale suits private contemplation. Today housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it offers modern viewers a glimpse into how 17th- and 18th-century audiences encountered sacred stories through accessible yet refined graphic art.