Luca Signorelli (Cortona, 1450 ca.-1523)
Weeping Magdalen
oil on panel; inv. P 59
acquisition: Pelagio Palagi collection, 1860
Although the paint on the shoulder of the mantle has completely vanished, it is still possible to enjoy the precision and elegance employed by Signorelli in depicting details such as the saint’s hair, the ribbon, the hem of her gown, and the leaves to the right.
The sharp contour of the Saint’s hand is typical of Signorelli’s work.
This small panel was part of a larger Crucifixion. Other fragments of it have been identified in various collections abroad.
This particular work dates to the artist’s later period, coinciding with the 1510s, and is an example of his skill in evoking his subjects’ emotions with intimacy and delicacy.
