The Ecstacy of St. Mary Magdalen
Original title: The Ecstacy of St. Mary Magdalen
kurzbeschreibung
Mary Magdalene is borne aloft by angels while remaining in a state of ecstasy—a theme Lucas Cranach the Elder captured in a woodcut in 1506. This upright sheet is executed in black and white and belongs to the Renaissance. The present impression is the second of two states.
Description
Naked, Mary Magdalene hovers at the center, surrounded by winged angels who support and lift her. Each angel has carefully worked wings. Behind the group, a landscape with trees, buildings, and a river opens up. Two coats of arms sit in the corners. The arrangement feels dynamic and emphasizes the vertical; light is distributed evenly, as is typical for woodcuts.
Context
Cranach made this print in 1506, while he held the post of court painter in Wittenberg. The ecstasy of Mary Magdalene was highly popular in late medieval and Renaissance art; it linked religious fervor with the artistic rendering of the nude. Two states of the woodcut exist, and the present example is from the second.
Impact
A deep spiritual intensity emanates from the sheet, carried by the saint's floating posture and the ring of angels. Because the woodcut knows only black and white, contrasts stand out sharply and draw the eye to the central figure.
Technique
This is a woodcut, a relief printing process: the design is cut into a woodblock and then pulled onto paper. The linework is precise and detailed, as is characteristic of Cranach's early prints. The sheet measures 24.4 × 14.2 cm.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)