The Penitent Magdalene is a wooden sculpture of Mary Magdalene by the Italian Renaissance sculptor Donatello, now usually dated to around 1440. The sculpture was probably commissioned for the Baptistery of Florence. The piece was received with astonishment for …

This difficult sculpture is an exercise in contrasts: frailty and power, pure spirituality and anatomical accuracy. Donatello, Mary Magdalene, c. 1455, wood, 188 cm (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence)

2025年1月17日 · One work in his oeuvre is especially striking, the Penitent Mary Magdalene (c. 1455). This wooden sculpture of imposing size (1.88 m) demonstrates an outstanding anatomical realism and deep psychological meaning.

It was common knowledge that Mary Magdalene had committed sin and lived a non-virtuous lifestyle. In Donatello's sculpture she appears penitent for her sins with an expression that pleads forgiveness.

2024年2月19日 · Mary Magdalene, often depicted as the quintessential penitent sinner in Christian art, is cast in Donatello’s sculpture in a particularly evocative way. She is neither idealized nor romanticized, but rather, presented with raw emotion and somber realism.

2023年10月14日 · Penitent Magdalene, a wooden sculpture of Saint Mary Magdalene by Donatello is thought to have been inspired by the then Bishop of Florence, Sant' Antonio. Donatello carried on the tradition of portraying Mary Magdalene as a figure from history that was perceived to have had long flowing hair.

2016年8月28日 · A great masterpiece from a Renaissance master depicting another female saint has been recently restored, and now it makes a fine show in the completely restyled Grande Museo del Duomo: the Penitent Magdalene by Donatello.

The Penitent Magdalene shows Mary Magdalene during a period of penance, which has caused her to become emaciated due to fasting, and covering herself with her hair. Donatello’s sculpture is renowned for its realism, which is said to make a powerful impact on viewers.