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'''''The Magdalen Reading''''' is one of three surviving fragment of a large oil on oak (later transfered to mahogany)<ref name="C50">Campbell, 50</ref> [[altarpiece]] by the [[Early Netherlandish painting|Netherlandish]] painter [[Rogier van der Weyden]] (1399-1464). The larger picture's dating is unknown but believed to be before 1438, and is known only through a late 15th century drawing of a portion of it, ''Virgin and Child with a Bishop Saint, St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist''.<ref name="C49">Campbell, 49</ref><ref name="P54">Potterton, 54</ref> It was likely mutilated into smaller pieces to increase its value at sale; a few smaller paintings would likely sell for a higher combined price than one large work.
'''''The Magdalen Reading''''' is one of three surviving fragment of a large oil on oak (later transfered to mahogany)<ref name="C50">Campbell, 50</ref> [[altarpiece]] by the [[Early Netherlandish painting|Netherlandish]] painter [[Rogier van der Weyden]] (1399-1464). The larger picture's dating is unknown but believed to be before 1438, and is known only through a late 15th century drawing of a portion of it, ''Virgin and Child with a Bishop Saint, St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist''.<ref name="C49">Campbell, 49</ref><ref name="P54">Potterton, 54</ref> It was likely mutilated into smaller pieces to increase its value at sale; a few smaller paintings would likely sell for a higher combined price than one large work.


In this piece, the Magdalen is identifable through the jar of ointment placed in the foreground which she uses in the biblical source to clean, in tears and repentant for past sins, Christ's feet. The other two known exant fragments show what are believed to be the heads of [[Saint Joseph]] and [[Saint Catherine of Alexandria]]<ref name="NG">"[http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/rogier-van-der-weyden-the-magdalen-reading The Magdalen Reading]". National Gallery, London. Retrieved 06 December, 2010.</ref> are are in the [[Museu Calouste Gulbenkian]], Lisbon. The drawing is in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.<ref name="C49" /> The London work has been described by art historian Loren Campbell as "one of the great masterpieces of fifteenth-century art and among Rogier's most important early works".<ref>Campbell, Loren. ''The Fifteenth Century Netherlandish Schools''. National Gallery, London, 1998. 405</ref>
In this piece, the Magdalen, who bears the pale skin, high cheek bones and oval, arched eyebrows typical of idealised portraits of the period, is identifable through the jar of ointment placed in the foreground which she uses in the biblical source to clean, in tears and repentant for past sins, Christ's feet. The other two known exant fragments show what are believed to be the heads of [[Saint Joseph]] and [[Saint Catherine of Alexandria]]<ref name="NG">"[http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/rogier-van-der-weyden-the-magdalen-reading The Magdalen Reading]". National Gallery, London. Retrieved 06 December, 2010.</ref> are are in the [[Museu Calouste Gulbenkian]], Lisbon. The drawing is in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.<ref name="C49" /> The London work has been described by art historian Loren Campbell as "one of the great masterpieces of fifteenth-century art and among Rogier's most important early works".<ref>Campbell, Loren. ''The Fifteenth Century Netherlandish Schools''. National Gallery, London, 1998. 405</ref>


==Composition==
==Composition==

Revision as of 02:24, 6 December 2010

The Magdalen Reading, 62.2 x 54.4 cm. National Gallery, London.

The Magdalen Reading is one of three surviving fragment of a large oil on oak (later transfered to mahogany)[1] altarpiece by the Netherlandish painter Rogier van der Weyden (1399-1464). The larger picture's dating is unknown but believed to be before 1438, and is known only through a late 15th century drawing of a portion of it, Virgin and Child with a Bishop Saint, St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist.[2][3] It was likely mutilated into smaller pieces to increase its value at sale; a few smaller paintings would likely sell for a higher combined price than one large work.

In this piece, the Magdalen, who bears the pale skin, high cheek bones and oval, arched eyebrows typical of idealised portraits of the period, is identifable through the jar of ointment placed in the foreground which she uses in the biblical source to clean, in tears and repentant for past sins, Christ's feet. The other two known exant fragments show what are believed to be the heads of Saint Joseph and Saint Catherine of Alexandria[4] are are in the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon. The drawing is in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.[2] The London work has been described by art historian Loren Campbell as "one of the great masterpieces of fifteenth-century art and among Rogier's most important early works".[5]

Composition

A youthful Mary Magdalen is shown in quite piety, with head titled and eyes averted from the viewer, absorbed in her reading of a holy book, the covers of which are draped with white cloth. She is seated on a red cushion, and rests her back against a wooden sideboard. Typical of a van der Weyden, her face has an almost sculpted look, while the elements of her clothes are conveyed in minute detail. Her red robe is tightly pulled below her bust by a blue sash, while her underskirt is adorned by a jewled hem.[6] He also renders in high detail elements of the wooden floow and sideboard, for example the nails on the floor.[3] The effect of falling ligh is closely studied; John the Evangelist's beads have bright highlings, and subtle delineations of light of shade can ve seen in the sideboard's tracery as well as in the clasps of Mary's book.[3]

Behind her are two cut-off figures, one directly above her and one to her left. The first is dressed in red with a blue cloak, holds a rosary, and is likely Joseph from the Lisbon canvas. When paced above The Magdalen Reading, the Lisbon Joseph shows at least ten intersections of heavy folds of cloth, though Lisbon work is an exterior, the London an interior; the catherdal seen in the left of Joseph's head is a later addition. The second, barely visable figure in the london fragment is kneeling with his back to the Magdalen, and thought to be John the Evangelist.[3] The view through the window is of a distant view of a canal bank. On it can be seen an archer and figure walking on the other side of the water, whoes reflection shows in the water.[3]

Altarpiece fragment

Head of a Female Saint (fragment). 21 x 18 cm. Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon. This panel is thought to show Saint Catherine of Alexandria

The background of The Magdalen Reading was overpainted with a uniform layer of black/brown pigment until 1955; only after its removal was it linked to the upper body and head of Joseph from the Lisbon piece. These two works are not recorded in inventory until 1907, when they appear in the collection of Léo Lardus in Suresnes, France.[2]

The Stockholm drawing is a partial copy of the origional work and omits large tracks. In the drawing the figure of John the Evangelist is to the far left, kneeling before the Virgin and child. His clothes reappear in The Magdalen Reading, and it is from this partically from fact that it has been linked as part of the same work as the Lisbon fragment.[1] From the three surving panels, it is estimated that the origional was 1m high by 1.5m wide.[4]

Provenance

File:Head of St Joseph Rogier van der Weyden.jpg
Head of of St Joseph (fragment). 21 x 18 cm. Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon. This panel is thought to show Saint Joseph. Josephy's body is visable to his upper arm in The Magdalen Reading. The cathedral wall on the left is a later addition and does not extend into the London work

The Magdalen Reading was purchased for the National Gallery by Charles Eastlake in 1860, along with two Robert Campin portraits. This was during a period of acquisition intended to establish the international prestige of the gallery.[7] The drawing was discovered in a Genman inventory, and is likely of Swedish origion. Its was bequeated by Norwegian Christian Langaad to the Swedish state in 1918.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Campbell, 50
  2. ^ a b c d Campbell, 49
  3. ^ a b c d e Potterton, 54
  4. ^ a b "The Magdalen Reading". National Gallery, London. Retrieved 06 December, 2010.
  5. ^ Campbell, Loren. The Fifteenth Century Netherlandish Schools. National Gallery, London, 1998. 405
  6. ^ Belloli, 58
  7. ^ Ridderbos, Bernhard. Early Netherlandish Paintings. Amsterdam University Press, 2005. 203

Bibliography

  • Belloli, Andrea P. A. Exploring World Art. Frances Lincoln, 2001. ISBN 0-7112-1895-1
  • Campbell, Lorne. Van der Weyden. London: Chaucer Press, 2004. ISBN 1-90444-9247
  • Potterton, Homan. The National Gallery. Thames and Hudson, 1977.
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