Follower Of Pompeo Batoni - Repentant Mary Magdalene

The penitent Mary Magdalene was an extremely popular theme in the early 18th century in Rome and such paintings are said to have been commissioned by clients for private dedication.
This kind of theme has been treated among others by Benedetto Luti, Francesco Trevisani, Sebastiano Conca and Agostino Masucci, and Batoni himself.

Our painting has been painted with a great degree of privacy and perfection.
Marie is thus represented there half-length and almost real size. Her smooth skin is bathed in golden light. Her long, blonde Venetian hair is cascaded over her shoulders as her gaze carries a rhetorical ascendant, all of which tends to highlight Magdalene's former sin and subsequent penance.

The virtuosity of our composition only serves to enhance the role of prayer.
Placed at the center of our painting, it is the joined hands that immediately attract the viewer's attention. Her intertwined fingers stand out in contrast to the sheen of her dress. It is a question here of Penance, just like the cross in front of which the illustrious sinner meditates is a symbol of Redemption.

Other attributes symbolizing "vanities" are used in our representation.
Ivy leaves stand out, evoking attachment to death, but also through its evergreen foliage, eternal life. A skull in the half-light also shines through, symbol of the vanity of the spirit of the world and of the temptations which lead the fisherman to death by losing his soul in trivialities or major sins.

Everything is done here to draw attention to our saint.
Eyes raised with fervent humility and emphasizing the unique and particular relationship she has with Heaven, this Madeleine is a model of post-conciliar iconography, a perfect illustration of the “vita contemplativa” to be meditated on. The harmony between art and spirituality is remarkable in this balanced and calm composition, of which one can only admire the delicacy of the treatment and the lightness of touch.
By form and substance, this work embodies the very expression of the aesthetic and moral ideal.

The vibrant and luminous palette of colors used here is reminiscent of the style of Pompeo Girolamo Batoni. The striking grace of our penitent revolves around a meticulously detailed finish. The ensemble thus creates a controlled emotional atmosphere, without being too theatrical.

Our painting dates from the beginning of the 19th century, around 1800 and its style evokes a follower of Pompeo Batoni. It is presented in a spectacular Italian frame with an inverted profile in carved and gilded wood, from a later period. A certificate of expertise can be given to the purchaser.


Oil on canvas and its frame (114 cm x 92 cm).

Literature
Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708 - 1787) was born on January 25, 1708 in Lucca, Tuscany. He began his training with his father, a goldsmith by trade in Lucca. He arrived in Rome in 1728 where he studied ancient sculpture. He was a pupil of Sebastiano Conca for a while, but is mainly self-taught. His early paintings are mainly copies of the works of Raphael and Annibale Carracci. In the early 1740s, he began to receive commissions of greater prestige, notably the famous Fall of Simon the Magician for St. Peter's Basilica (currently in Santa Maria degli Angeli). The Ecstasy of Saint Catherine of Siena, preserved in the museum of the Villa Guinigi in Lucca, was carried out in 1743. He carried out numerous orders for decorations of churches as well as paintings with mythological themes for private clients. His studio is frequented by foreigners, especially the British who, on the occasion of their "Grand Tour", commission portraits in ancient settings or ruins and in the midst of art objects. These portraits of Batoni abound in British private collections, ensuring the genre's popularity in the United Kingdom, of which Sir Joshua Reynolds becomes the main figure. Batoni became the most popular painter in the city, particularly after the departure for Spain in 1761 of his most serious rival, Anton Raphaël Mengs. Batoni becomes friends with Winckelmann who, like him, prefers Raphaël and Nicolas Poussin to the Venetian artists in vogue. He was curator of the Pope's painting collections and his home was an important intellectual, artistic and social center. In 1769, the double portrait of Joseph II and Leopold II of Austria enabled him to win the favor of the Austrian nobility. He also painted the portrait of Pope Pius VI. He was ennobled in 1769 by Marie-Thérèse of Austria in thanks for the double portrait of Joseph II and Leopold II. Having met Jacques-Louis David during his stay in Rome, he recognized his talent and tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade him to stay in Rome to continue his career there. According to legend, he left his palette and brush to David.

About the Valtesse Gallery
● Our paintings are carefully selected according to their quality, their age as well as their good condition of conservation.
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