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The Temptation of the Magdalene

A work made of oil on panel.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on panel.

Date:

c. 1616/17

Artist:

Jacob Jordaens
Flemish, 1593-1678

About this artwork

In this half-length biblical painting, an aged woman offering tempting jewels—possibly the proprietor of a brothel—and an angel bestowing spiritual guidance battle for the soul of Mary Magdalene. A ghoulish demon emerges from the shadows in the background with a fistful of snakes, a menacing symbol of evil. Jacob Jordaens had already developed his own rich realism, with earthy figures and naturalistic shadows, by the time he executed this early work, probably for an upper-class home in his native Antwerp.

Status

On View, Gallery 208

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Jacob Jordaens

Title

The Temptation of the Magdalene

Place

Flanders (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1611–1622

Medium

Oil on panel

Dimensions

126.2 × 96.8 cm (49 11/16 × 38 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection; anonymous gift in honor of Kate and Morris Kaplan

Reference Number

1991.111

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/111613/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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