Flemish school; 17th century. "Mary Magdalene... Lot 47

Flemish school; 17th century. "Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross". Oil on canvas. It presents restorations. Measurements: 92 x 73 cm; 104 x 85 cm (frame). This work of devotional character portrays one of the most represented themes throughout the history of art. However, both compositionally and thematically, it has a great originality which distances it from the usual representations of the crucifixion without losing the drama and sobriety attributed to the moment of Christ's death. At the foot of the cross, the artist does not present the usual figures that form the Calvary: Mary and Saint John, inherited from the Byzantine Deesis, but shows only Mary Magdalene seated at the foot of the cross. The bare-footed young woman joins her hands in a pious pose and rests her head on the crossbeam of the cross in a mournful pose that is far from dramatic and close to grief, thus showing the viewer a reflective sorrow. At the feet of Mary and the cross we can see the skull, a distinctive symbol of the representation of the crucifixion, but also an iconographic attribute of the young Magdalene. The image shows an arid landscape shrouded in twilight, as it is the moment of sunset. In the foreground, a few small, barely visible flowers are placed next to Mary, while in the background the city of Jerusalem can be seen. However, the chromatic treatment and the monumentality of Christ stand out from the rest of the scene, dominating the image with their presence. The artist has avoided dramatism by presenting a muscular, anatomically proportioned body with no signs of wounds on the side or forehead and with slightly flushed cheeks. One of the most characteristic features of the work lies in the composition, not so much in the conception of the landscape but in the way in which the cross has been arranged, as it is not shown facing the viewer as is usual, but in profile, thus giving the scene a greater three-dimensionality. The technical characteristics, such as the modelling of the forms, the tonalities used, the type of composition and even the aesthetic details used in the treatment of the canvases that make up the scene, make this work a Flemish work.