3-068-811 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Saint Mary Magdalene Penitent, 18th century. Additional Info: This diminutive female figure, half nude, with her head leaning down and seated at the entrance to a grotto, represents the penitent Saint Mary Magdalene. The saint is holding a skull in her lap, which suggests that she is contemplating death and the evanescence of human life. From the right, an angel approaches, holding a crucifix in his hand. Legend has it that Saint Mary Magdalene, once an elegant courtesan, abandoned her sinful life after she met with the Christ. Following the Ascension, she delivered sermons and subsequently spent thirty years in seclusion in the desert in repentance and prayer.