Hl. Magdalena

Giampietrino's Mary Magdalene (Hl. Magdalena) belongs to the large body of half-length devotional figures this Milanese painter produced in the tradition of Leonardo da Vinci, in whose workshop he trained. Giampietrino specialized in producing Leonardesque devotional images for Milan's patrician market, carefully replicating the sfumato modeling, gentle facial expressions, and rich coloring of his master's style. The Magdalene was a particularly popular subject in this format, her combination of beauty and penitence making her an ideal subject for intimate devotional contemplation. Giampietrino's fluid handling distinguishes his originals from later workshop copies.

The Magdalene is rendered with the soft sfumato modeling and idealized beauty derived from Leonardo's teaching. Giampietrino's smooth, luminous technique creates the contemplative mood associated with the saint's repentance.