Estimate

25.000 - 35.000

Session 2

22 October 2024

Description

Oil on canvas
Depicting Mary Magdalene prostrated in a grotto, draped in dark robes, with her long hair loose and holding a skull in her right hand. Beside her lie a book and a rosary, emphasising the symbolism of spiritual contemplation and penitence

57x41,5 cm

Category

Paintings

Additional Information

Domingos António de Sequeira (1768-1837), one of the greatest masters of Portuguese painting in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, stood out for his style influenced by both Neoclassicism and the emerging Romanticism. Throughout his multifaceted career, he dedicated himself to historical and religious painting, engraving, and drawing, always displaying mastery in the representation of the human figure and a remarkable sensitivity in theme composition, establishing himself as one of the most notable Portuguese artists of his time (Markl, 2013).
The parallels between the work we now present for auction and other depictions of Mary Magdalene created by Sequeira between 1796 and 1800 are evident, reinforcing the belief that this could, indeed, be an undiscovered work by the artist. The dramatic composition, combined with the technical finesse in the use of light and shadow, is characteristic of Sequeira’s oeuvre (Crespo de San Payo, 2009), further cementing his status as one of the leading figures in Portuguese painting of his era.
A distinctive feature of this painting is the unusually masculine appearance of Mary Magdalene's body, particularly noticeable in the arm and leg of the figure. Although atypical, this could be explained by the hypothesis that Sequeira used male models for his pose studies, as suggested by some evidence in his graphic work (Markl, 2013). There is also the possibility that the artist initially began this canvas as a depiction of a hermit saint, which later evolved into the penitent figure of Mary Magdalene.

Literature:
Markl, Alexandra Josefina Reis Gomes. A obra gráfica de Domingos António de Sequeira no contexto da produção europeia do seu tempo. Tese de Doutoramento em Belas-Artes, Especialidade de Desenho, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Belas-Artes, 2013.
Crespo de San Payo, Manuel Pedro Alves. O Desenho em Viagem: Álbum, Caderno ou Diário Gráfico. O Álbum de Domingos António de Sequeira. Tese de Doutoramento em Belas-Artes, Especialidade de Desenho, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Belas-Artes, 2009.