Mary Magdalen with Saint John the Baptist and an Angel
Giulio Cesare Proccaccini (Bologna.1574 – Milan 1625)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1600
Materials
Oil on panel
Measurements
343 x 260mm (13 1/2 x 10 1/4 in)
Place of origin
Italy
Order this imageCollection
Attingham Park, Shropshire
NT 608981
Caption
The subject matter of the painting is not entirely clear. While the woman in the centre must be Mary Magdelene, with her urn, and alluring appeal, the identity of the two youths is less obvious, and they may have allegorical significance. The figure on the left is probably St. John the Baptist, wearing his hair shirt and carrying a staff. The identity of the youth on the right is less obvious. It has been proposed that they may represent innocence and experience. Unfortunately the writing on the scroll, which may have provided an explanation, is illegible. It seems possible that this picture was, at one time, larger, as the jar to the left has been cut. Procaccini was an early Baroque Bolognese artist, who favoured vibrant colours, in the Venetian manner.
Summary
Oil painting on panel, Mary Magdalen with Saint John the Baptist and an Angel by Giulio Cesare Proccaccini (Bologna.1574 – Milan 1625), circa 1600. A woman, seen bust length, turned three-quarters to right, head turned to spectator, unclothed apart from a blue cloak seen around her left arm and clutched beneath her exposed bosom; her arms rest on a ledge, a jar of ointment beside her, the heads of two youths appearing in the background on either side of her head.
Provenance
Attingham collection. 1913 Inventory p.74; bequeathed to the National Trust with the estate, house and contents of Attingham by Thomas Henry Noel-Hill, 8th Baron Berwick (1877-1947) on 15th May 1953.
Credit line
Attingham Park, The Berwick Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
On back of panel (bottom) - in pink chalk: ATT/P/045 On back of frame (top): H116/26 On back of frame (bottom) - in pink chalk: ATT/PF/045 On back of frame (top) - in chalk (rubbed): Trust
Makers and roles
Giulio Cesare Proccaccini (Bologna.1574 – Milan 1625), artist