Curatorial Notes
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.
Artwork Identification
Title The Temptation of the Magdalene
Title (PT) A tentação de Madalena
Title (ES) La tentación de la Magdalena
Artist Jacob Jordaens
Artist Bio Jacob Jordaens (Flemish, 1593-1678)
Date c. 1616
Work Type Painting
Location & Collection
Institution Art Institute of Chicago
Source View Museum Page
License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
