GIOVANNI GIROLAMO BONESI | THE REPENTANT MARY MAGDALENE

We are grateful to Prof. Daniele Benati for suggesting an attribution to Giovanni Girolamo Bonesi on the basis of photographs. Bonesi was a Bolognese painter who trained under Giovanni Maria Viani (1636 - 1700). His works were influenced by Lorenzo Pasinelli (1629 - 1700) and Carlo Cignani (1628 - 1719). This painting is similar to Bonesi's painting of Cleopatra that sold at Christie's in 2011,¹ and although they each portray a different subject, both scenes unfold in an interior setting with red curtains and a cushion on the floor where the figures rest their feet.

Mary Magdalene was a symbol of penance for the Catholic Church in the 17th century. She became a popular subject in Italian art and was commonly shown fashionably dressed in a contemporary interior. The other female figure in this composition is probably her sister Martha, who according to The Golden Legend persuaded the sinful Mary to listen to Jesus Christ. In gratitude for his healing, Mary became one of Christ's most devout followers.

1. Oil on canvas, an oval, 150 by 116 cm. Anonymous sale, Milan, Christie's, 25 November 2011, lot 60, for 33,560 EUR.