Domenico Piola
Magdalene in the Desert
1674
Oil on canvas, 300 x
198 cm
Oratorio di Santa Maria
Maddalena, Laigueglia
The angels in the foreground play with the ointment jar that is
St. Mary Magdalene's attribute. As usual, she is portrayed as a
beautiful woman with long, loose blond hair. Conventional emblems of
the contemplative life surround her: the book, the skull, and the two
crosses. The angels feature prominently in the Golden Legend's account of her life
in the desert.
More of St.
Mary Magdalene