The wreath of flowers winds itself like a garland through the cartouche on a pedestal. The stone cartouche is painted in trompe l’oeil and embellished with scrolls and human and animal heads. For this seventeenth-century painter, painting flowers was not just a way of displaying his masterly talents. Nor was it merely a depiction of an inventory of the known species of the time. Flowers and plants are always associated with the transience and vanity of our earthly life. In this painting it is emphasised further by the depiction in the view through the cartouche. It is a painting within a painting in which we recognise Mary Magdalene as a hermit. She is kneeling before a crucifixion with one hand resting on a skull. The lushness of the landscape in the distance forms a contrast with the cave in which the saint is depicted. Although the panel is attributed to Daniel Seghers, the figure of Mary Magdalene was probably the work of another artist, possibly Cornelis I Schut. Seghers painted on commission, as well as producing work for the free market where this type of painting was very much in demand.
| Artist |
Daniël Seghers
RKD
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|---|---|
|
Cornelis I Schut
RKD
Wikidata
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| Title | Floral Wreath with Mary Magdalene |
| Period | 17th century |
| Location | Antwerp TGN |
| Signatures, inscriptions, and markings | hallmarks |
| panel manufacturer's mark: F / VT | |
| Collection | paintings AAT |
| Object type | oil paintings (visual works) AAT |
| Inventory number | 1953-N |
| Acquisition credit |
bequest
Janson, Louis 1953 |
| Current whereabouts | Work on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1953-N |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/2333/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus | 300055874 religious symbolism AAT |
|---|---|
| Keywords Iconclass |
11D12
the cross ~ symbols of Christ
Iconclass
11HH(MARY MAGDALENE) the penitent harlot Mary Magdalene; possible attributes: book (or scroll), crown, crown of thorns, crucifix, jar of ointment, mirror, musical instrument, palm-branch, rosary, scourge Iconclass 11Q651 crucifix ~ personal devotion Iconclass 11R5 (personifications of) 'Vanitas', the vanity of human life; Fragilita humana, Fugacita delle grandezze della gloria mondana, Meditatione della morte, Opera vana, Piacere vano, Vana gloria, Vanita (Ripa) Iconclass 11R6 'Vanitas' still life Iconclass 11R71 skull as symbol of 'Vanitas' Iconclass 25G41 flowers Iconclass 25G41(LILY) flowers: lily Iconclass 25G41(ROSE) flowers: rose Iconclass 31A211 (human) skull Iconclass 41E1 still life of related objects Iconclass |
| School / Style | Baroque AAT |
| 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. 105-151 (ill.)) |
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