The Penitent Magdalen or Vanitas

(Jusepe de Ribera)

The great Parmesan masters Correggio and Parmigianino still retained a
strong hold over those artists drawn to the enormously wealthy court of the
Farnese Dukes, as is apparent in the works of both Ribera, who was in Parma
c.1609-10, and Giulio Cesare Procaccini, a slightly older artist who was
there in 1600. In our Magdalen, the mannerist legacy of Parmigianino is
filtered through the lens of Procaccini and is tempered by the astonishing
naturalism of Rubens, to whose influence the artist would have been
exposed either in Genoa or Rome when he first arrived in Italy. In both
the greenish tint in some of the flesh tones, and in the distinct handling
of paint in the Magdalen’s lips, Ribera shows his debt to the great
Flemish master. Ribera’s work in Rome, and especially his celebrated series
of the Five Senses, was marked by an earthy realism and striking contrasts
of light and shadow that stemmed from his close study of the paintings of
Caravaggio. That plebeian brand of Caravaggism – the so-called methodus
manfrediana – is notably absent from this picture, with its elegant
composition and beautiful figure type which as well as representing the Magdalen also alludes to the ephemeral nature of earthly possessions so that the subject may also be read as a Vanitas. There is no undue emphasis on
weathered skin, wrinkled knuckles, or dirty fingernails, although a hint of
this realist vein is apparent in the attention to the sheen and texture of the
drapery and the depiction of the Magdalene’s dress as of plaited grass. In
short, the picture throws completely new light on the pre-Roman phase of
Ribera previously documented only through copies and the etching of his lost
altarpiece of 1611. It is certainly easy to understand why a picture such
as this one would impress Ludovico Carracci. While we cannot be sure as to
the extent of Ribera’s exposure to Caravaggio prior to his definitive move
to Rome around 1613, the present painting clearly shows the extent to which
the artist had already mastered the art of chiaroscuro, of characterisation
and, at a very early stage in his career had captured his imagery with an immediacy of brushwork. The quality of the light in this picture is particularly remarkable – it flickers across the Magdalen’s face, her hands, her clothing, and the carefully defined skull making everything more tactile. This accentuation of light and shadow serves to emphasise the sorrowful psychological state of the protagonist and is a hallmark of Ribera’s oeuvre throughout his career already evident in his Crucifixion of 1618 (now Osuna, Collegiate Church) or the 1621 St Sebastian (Bilbao, Museo de Bellas Artes) but most notable after the 1630s.

Dated on stylistic grounds by both Nicola Spinosa (who will publish this painting as a fully autograph work in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné due to be published late 2001) as well as Craig Felton to the years 1609-1611, our Magdalen is an intense and immediate figure. Her tear-filled eyes, red, inflamed lids and emotive expression immediately engage the viewer, while the image is given
added intensity by filling almost the entire picture space. Despite the
richness of her robe and the elaborate jewels with which her hair is
adorned, these worldly symbols are now meaningless for her as she is
confronted with her own mortality, symbolized by the superbly executed skull
that she holds with her left hand. Ribera must have executed several works during his Parma period, while he studied the older masters and sought to learn from them and formulate his own personal style – few of these works have as yet been identified. It seems probable that the artist’s use of a panel support was in direct emulation of Parmigianino and of Correggio while the dramatic chiaroscuro, bold handling, and intense emotion together mark the work of a prodigy, demonstrating why the youthful
Ribera received such an important commission as the altarpiece of San Prospero in Parma, a major artistic centre, so soon after his arrival there.
We thank both Keith Christiansen and particularly Dr. Nicola Spinosa for their advice and suggestions in the compilation of this entry.
Dr Spinosa examined the picture in the Spring of 2000 in London and writes (Ms. opinion 15 Nov. 2000) ‘L’opera appartiene senza alcun dubbio alla mano di Jusepe de Ribera per le evidenti concordanze sia stilistiche che tipologiche e di resa espressiva…’. Spinosa notes similarities between the picture and the early series of the Senses both in lighting, the preciosity of the details and the strong naturalism. He draws further parallels with another Magdalen dateable between 1618-20 (Florence, Private Collection) and with the Pietà (London, National Gallery). Spinosa observes that Ribera had a great gift for expressing the emotions of the subjects he portrayed and suggests that the model for this Magdalen may have been drawn from a real life courtesan he had known (cf. Caravaggio) which might explain the particularly ‘real life’ detailing of the earrings and the long tress of tied back hair. Such details, Spinosa suggests, may also be found in later works such as the 1636 Assumption of the Magdalent (Madrid, Museo della Real Accademia de San Fernando); or in the 1637 Pietà (Naples, Certosa di S. Martino) where there are strong similarities with the figure of the sorrowing Magdalen; or with a Magdalen of 1641 (Madrid, Prado) or the 1651 St. Mary of Egypt (Naples, Museo Filangieni).
Spinosa continues by drawing attention to the similarities of the hands in our Magdalen with those in Boy with a Tambourine (London, National Gallery), a 1638 St Pantaleone, (Naples, Private Collection) or a Penitent Magdalen (Madrid, Prado, Inv. No. 1104).
As to dating Spinosa compares the Magdalen to Ribera’s earliest known Roman works such as the 1618 composition of The Martyrdom of St Lawrence, known in many copies, of which the best example was formerly with The Trafalgar Gallery, London.
Spinosa believes that this Magdalen was executed in Parma between 1611 and 1613 under the influence of the works of earlier painters such as Parmigianino and that this helps to explain not only the interest in precious detail and sumptuous colour, but also a style which lies mid-way between late maniera and naturalism in parallel to Giulio Cesare Procaccini who also, under the impact of contact with Rubensian painting, was to embrace a baroque style and Parmigianesque colouring while never entirely managing to completely abandon maniera.
Dr Felton examined the picture in New York in May 2000.