Caption

Figure of St. Mary Magdalene, ca. 1480, Southern Germany. Hollow wall sculpture, height 115.0 cm, width 35.8 cm, depth 16.2 cm. St. Mary Magdalene is depicted frontally in a slight contrapposto with her head tilted left; in her left hand she holds a perfume box and in her right its lid. The figure’s movements and hand gestures are elegant. The face has small, delicate features and a high forehead, framed by a thick braid woven with a ribbon; a white shawl draped over her head falls to the left, covers the breast and is draped over the right shoulder. She wears a double gown: an over-dress of patterned golden fabric, short-sleeved and tied at the waist creating shallow radiating pleats, and an under-dress originally dark red, now darkened visible in the flared sleeves. A cloak is draped over the left shoulder, its pleated tail draped over the front and held by the left hand, revealing a green lining where folded back; on the right the cloak forms deep, rather stiffly modeled folds with semicircular and V-shaped outlines. The tip of a shoe is visible between the folds at the base., A carved standing figure in profile facing left, wearing a long flowing robe with layered drapery and a head covering; the visible colors include gold, red, brown, green, cream, pink, and gray. The figure holds a cup with both hands near chest height and stands on a small base. The face has a pale complexion with subtle pink on the cheeks and closed lips, and the hair is dark under a draped cream-colored headscarf. The robe shows gilded areas and worn painted surfaces with a mix of red and green folds and darker shadowed recesses, and the overall object appears to have an aged, slightly weathered surface.

Credit line

Photo12/Liszt Collection

Reference

LZT26A00_097

License type

Rights managed

Available size

62.9Mb (1.2Mb) / 12.2in x 20.0in / 3665 x 6000 (300dpi)

Keywords

Figure St Mary Magdalene ca 1480 Southern Germany Hollow wall sculpture height 115.0 cm width 35.8 cm depth 16.2 cm depicted frontally slight contrapposto head tilted left left hand holds perfume box right lid figure’s movements hand gestures elegant face small delicate features high forehead framed thick braid woven ribbon white shawl draped head falls covers breast draped right shoulder wears double gown -dress patterned golden fabric short-sleeved tied waist creating shallow radiating pleats under-dress originally dark red now darkened visible flared sleeves cloak left shoulder pleated tail draped front held revealing green lining folded back cloak forms deep stiffly modeled folds semicircular V-shaped outlines tip shoe base carved standing figure profile facing left wearing long flowing robe layered drapery head covering visible colors include gold red brown green cream pink gray figure holds cup hands near chest height stands small base pale complexion subtle pink cheeks closed lips hair dark under draped cream-colored headscarf gilded areas worn painted surfaces mix green folds darker shadowed recesses object aged slightly weathered surface.