The Penitent Mary Magdalen
XVII century. Grey-brown wash, Pencil, Chalk ground on laid paper.Not on display
Mary Magdalen is depicted in the centre of the composition. She is kneeling in left profile before a wooden crucifix tied to the branches of a tree. She holds disciplinary scourges in her right hand, while in her left hand, she holds a cloth to cover her naked figure. To the right of the composition, demons flee from the scene. In the foreground, three cherubim hold the iconographic symbols that identify Mary Magdalene, including the skull and the perfume bottle. Flying above the scene, a group of angels emerge from a heavenly glory carrying a crown of flowers for the saint.
The Museo del Prado’s inventory attributes the work to Cano. Sánchez Cantón published it as anonymous; however, the style appears more characteristic of Francisco Rizi.
Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E., Catálogo de Dibujos. Vol. I. Dibujos españoles siglos XV-XVII, Madrid, Museo del Prado, 1972, p.121-122
