St. Mary of Egypt was a Courtesan from Alexandria who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries. Out of sheer curiosity she went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. She was about to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre when a mysterious force held her back. This lead her to repent, and to redeem her sins she retreated to the desert where she became a hermit. Although the legend originated in Egypt it soon became popular throughout Europe. In the Middle Ages the cult of Mary of Egypt coincided with that of Mary Magdalene. The Vision of St. Mary of Egypt shows us the moment when Mary repents. This is an oil sketch based on the altarpiece of the same title by Luca Giordano in the church of Santa Maria Egiziaca in Naples, probably painted by his workshop. Although Giordano worked mainly in his native city, he also accepted important commissions in Spain. His work is characterised by powerful contrasts of light and dark and flamboyant brushstrokes.
| Artist |
Luca Giordano
RKD
|
|---|---|
| Title | The Vision of Saint Mary of Egypt |
| Period |
17th century
18th century |
| Location | Italy TGN |
| Collection | paintings AAT |
| Object type | oil paintings (visual works) AAT |
| Inventory number | 1931-AI |
| Acquisition credit |
gift
De Noever (coll.) Brussels 1931 |
| Current whereabouts | Work currently not on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1931-AI |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/1180/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus | 300055874 religious symbolism AAT |
|---|---|
| Keywords Iconclass |
11D12
the cross ~ symbols of Christ
Iconclass
11F4 Madonna: i.e. Mary with the Christ-child Iconclass 11HH female saints Iconclass 11HH(MARY OF EGYPT) the penitent harlot Mary of Egypt (Maria Aegyptiaca); possible attributes: long hair, three loaves Iconclass 11HH(MARY OF EGYPT)34 personal devotion of St. Mary of Egypt - vision(s), mystic marriage of female saint Iconclass 22C light Iconclass 22C2 artificial light Iconclass 22C311 nimbus, halo ~ radiance emanating from persons or things Iconclass 22C8 shadow Iconclass 26A clouds Iconclass 26E2 lightning, flash of lightning, thunderbolt Iconclass 31A234 squatting, crouching figure Iconclass 31AA233 kneeling figure - AA - female human figure Iconclass 48C161 column, pillar ~ architecture Iconclass |
| School / Style |
Baroque
AAT
Naples school Italian School |
| Museum van Schoone Kunsten : Catalogus ; Oude Meesters, Schilderstukken, teekeningen, plaatsneden (met geschiedkundig overzicht) / Maurice Dupuis, Georges Charles Nicolas Marie Hulin de Loo, Fritz Van Loo. - Gent : Drukkerij F. De Vos, 1938 ; Gent : Stad Gent, 1938 (p. 61) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent = Museum of Fine Arts Ghent / Claudie De Guillebon, Jacques Ostier, Robert Hoozee, Monique Tahon-Vanroose. - Parijs : Association des Amis de "Musées 2000", 1989 (p. 63 (ill. 112)) |
| Antoon van Dijck / Jan Pieter Ballegeer. - [s.l.] : [s.n.], [s.a.] (p. 342, 753) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent = Museum of Fine Arts Ghent / Claudie De Guillebon, Jacques Ostier, Robert Hoozee, Monique Tahon-Vanroose. - Parijs : Association des Amis de "Musées 2000", 1989 (p. 63 (ill. 112)) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Catalogus schilderkunst ; Deel I: 14de - 18de eeuw ; Deel II: 19de - 20ste eeuw / Robert Hoozee, Johan De Smet, Bruno Fornari, Ruth Monteyne. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2007 (dl. I, p. 94-95 (ill.)) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : De collectie (tentoonstelling vanaf 21 maart 2021) / Johan De Smet, Bart Ooghe, Frederica Van Dam, Lieven Van Den Abeele, Cathérine Verleysen. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2021 |
| Musée des Beaux-Arts de Gand : La Collection (exposition dès le 21 mars 2021) / Johan De Smet, Bart Ooghe, Frederica Van Dam, Lieven Van Den Abeele, Cathérine Verleysen. - Gand : Musée des Beaux-Arts de Gand, 2021 |
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