Mary Magdalene Reading
First half of the XVI century. Oil on panel.On display elsewhere
Mary Magdalene is depicted slightly more than half-length. She is slightly turned and reads a book inside a room. The jar of salve bearing the inscription “Magdele” identifies her and helps to avoid confusion with representations of the Annunciation. Isenbrand follows models created in the previous century, from Van der Weyden to Gérard David. The slight sfumato in Mary´s face and her gracious expression reveal isenbrandt´s debt to David. This work is a replica of a much-repeated prototype with which this artist achieved a certain success.
