St Mary Magdalene (Piero di Cosimo)
Appearance
St Mary Magdalene Reading | |
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Artist | Piero di Cosimo |
Year | circa 1501 |
Medium | Painted on Wood |
Dimensions | 76 cm × 72.5 cm (30 in × 28.5 in) |
Location | Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome |
St Mary Magdalene Reading is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Piero di Cosimo. It is housed in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica of Palazzo Barberini, Rome.
Description
The work depicts Mary Magdalene at a window-like table, reading a bible. On the shelf is a bottle of unguent. She is dressed in a contemporary multicolor gown and cape; she is distinguished by her long curled hair draping over her shoulders. She wears a ring of pearls in her hair. Around her hair a filigree of a halo. On the sill is the painter's signature. The use of shadows to give dimension to the face, and the settled pose of the Magdalen, identify the work as emerging from Piero di Cosimo's late works, influence by Leonardo da Vinci.[1]