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Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo - Mary Magdalene - Google Art Project
Summary
On the Sunday morning after the Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene visited the tomb of Jesus, but found it empty. The story is recounted in the New Testament (John 20), and Mary Magdalene is here identified by the pot of ointment with which she anointed Christ's body, and by the glimpse of her traditional red dress beneath a silver-grey cloak. She was the first person to see Christ after the Resurrection. Several other versions of this composition by Savoldo are known. The landscape background appears to represent Venice and its lagoon.
St. Mary Magdalene is often depicted in Christian art holding a jar of ointment, which is meant to symbolize the ointment she used to anoint the feet of Jesus during the Last Supper, as described in the New Testament. This act of devotion is seen as a powerful expression of Mary Magdalene's love and devotion to Jesus, she pours the ointment from the jar onto Jesus' feet.
Italian Renaissance painting is most often be divided into four periods: the Proto-Renaissance (1300–1425), the Early Renaissance (1425–1495), the High Renaissance (1495–1520), and Mannerism (1520–1600). The city of Florence is renowned as the birthplace of the Renaissance, and in particular of Renaissance painting. From the early 15th to late 16th centuries, Italy was divided into many political states. The painters of Renaissance Italy wandered Italy, disseminating artistic and philosophical ideas. The Proto-Renaissance begins with the professional life of the painter Giotto and includes Taddeo Gaddi, Orcagna and Altichiero. The Early Renaissance style was started by Masaccio and then further developed by Fra Angelico, Paolo Uccello, Piero della Francesca, Sandro Botticelli, Verrocchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Giovanni Bellini. The High Renaissance period was that of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, Coreggio, Giorgione, the latter works of Giovanni Bellini, and Titian. The Mannerist period, dealt with in a separate article, included the latter works of Michelangelo, as well as Pontormo, Parmigianino, Bronzino and Tintoretto.
Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo was an Italian Renaissance painter who was born in Brescia, Lombardy, around 1480-1485. He is known for his distinctive style, which combined elements of Venetian and Lombard painting. Savoldo's early life and training are not well documented, but it is believed that he studied with Giovanni Bellini in Venice. He later returned to Brescia, where he became a prominent member of the local art scene. Savoldo's paintings are characterised by the use of rich, vibrant colours and dramatic lighting effects. He often painted religious subjects, but also portraits and genre scenes. His style was influenced by the work of other Italian painters such as Giorgione and Titian. One of Savoldo's most famous works is The Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine, which is now in the collection of the National Gallery in London. The painting depicts Saint Catherine of Alexandria being married to the infant Jesus by the Virgin Mary. The painting is remarkable for its use of light and shadow to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. Savoldo's work was highly regarded during his lifetime and he received commissions from a number of prominent patrons, including the Gonzaga family of Mantua. Despite this success, little is known of his life after about 1548, and the date of his death is uncertain.
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