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The image of Christ´s precursor occupies the center of the panel with an iconography consistent with Medieval tradition. The strong lighting of certain parts of his elongated figure reflect the painter´s interest in an incipient chiaroscuro and the similarities to El Greco´s models suggest he was trained in beginning-of-the-century international mannerism.The saint wears a short
This painting entered the Prado from the Museo de la Trinidad, most of whose works were from religious institutions in Madrid or the surrounding provinces. Its style led Sánchez Cantón to attribute it to Alejandro de Loarte, although without any certainty. Mary Magdalene was one of the most-frequently depicted New-Testament figures, although the episodes of her life most popular with
This work entered the Prado from the Museo de la Trinidad and its attribution to Loarte is based mainly on stylistic affinities. Part of its considerable interest lies in its capacity to reveal the artist´s skill in several of that period´s most important genres. Beyond its religious narrative, it contains various still-life details executed with the meticulous precision characteristic
This work is an important addition to the Museo del Prado’s collection, as it is signed by an artist from the area of Toledo who made very few paintings. Indeed, the museum has only one other signed still life by him -The Chicken Seller (P08063)- and three more that are attributed to him: Saint John the Baptist (P01308), The Penitent Mary Magdalene (P01309) and The Miracle of Saint Bernard (P03489
This is Loarte’s most ambitious work among his still lifes. A depiction of a market stall in the Plaza de Zocodover in Toledo, it marks the end of a career cut short by the artist’s early death. Brushwork, colour and lighting are used to create a composition of notable visual impact, of which another version of the same date is known.
