O ld Masters London presents, in partnership with Qatar Executive, a masterpiece from a prolific female artist. An incisive storyteller, Artemisia Gentileschi is known for her powerful depictions of women from history, and indeed her images of biblical heroines are among her most compelling creations. In this confidently painted work of the 1620s, a Caravaggesque realism is brought to this powerful subject. Barefoot, Mary Magdalen is depicted here in a rugged coastal setting that evokes the wilderness where she lived in solitude. With starkly contrasting areas of light and dark and showing a bold approach to the arrangement of its female subject, the picture makes reference to the saint’s sea voyage to the southern coast of France, where, according to legend, she sought refuge at Sainte-Baume in Provence. The Magdalen as protagonist is an important theme for Artemisia and one that constitutes a recurring thread in her work.
This striking piece is on offer as part of the Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Evening Auction taking place at Sotheby's London on 4 December.
