Workshop of Master of the Magdalen Legend - The Magdalen Weeping NG3116

The Master of the Legend of the Magdalen (sometimes called the Master of the Magdalen Legend) was an

Early Netherlandish painter Early Netherlandish painting, traditionally known as the Flemish Primitives, refers to the work of artists active in the Burgundian Netherlands, Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands during the 15th- and 16th-century Northern Renaissance period. ...

, active from about 1483 to around 1527. He has not been identified; his name of convenience is derived from a large, now-dispersed altarpiece with scenes from the life of Mary Magdalene, which has been dated to between 1515 and 1520 based on the costumes of the donor portraits. However other works attributed to him are extremely difficult to date with any accuracy. Many paintings have been linked with the

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...

, which is thought to have been finished late in the artist's career. Other major works include his two Magdalen panels in London. He is not to be confused with the " Master of the Mansi Magdalen" (fl. ?Antwerp, c. 1515–25) or the Magdalen Master (fl. Florence, c. 1265–90). Some of his portraits suggest a possible link with artists in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, and it is thought that he worked there, and headed a large workshop. An early influence appears to have been

Rogier van der Weyden Rogier van der Weyden () or Roger de la Pasture (1399 or 140018 June 1464) was an early Netherlandish painter whose surviving works consist mainly of religious triptychs, altarpieces, and commissioned single and diptych portraits. He was highly ...

; his work also shares characteristics with that of

Bernard van Orley Bernard van Orley (between 1487 and 1491 – 6 January 1541), also called Barend or Barent van Orley, Bernaert van Orley or Barend van Brussel, was a versatile Flemish artist and representative of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, who ...

, and a link with the Master of the Death of the Virgin (Joos Van Cleve) has been suggested. Like van Orley, this artist is believed to have been active in the court of Margaret of Habsburg, regent of the Netherlands from 1507 until 1530. Works ascribed to the Master are in the collections of the National Gallery, London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the

Fitzwilliam Museum The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Vis ...

in Cambridge. He is sometimes associated with Pieter van Coninxloo based on similarities of style, time and location.Meester van de Legende van de Heilige Magdalena
in the

RKD The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: RKD-Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center i ...

A number of art historians, including Max Friedländer, who first made the association between the works now attributed to the Master of the Legend of the Magdalen, have speculated that they may have been the same person. It is possible also that van Coninxloo for a time was a member of the master's workshop.Campbell, 114

Works

Master of the Magdalen Legend - The Magdalen NG2614

Thirteen versions of a portrait format image of "The Magdalen" were painted by the Master of the Magdalen Legend and his workshop between the years of 1510-20. This piece in particular was originally thought to depict

Mary of Burgundy Mary (french: Marie; nl, Maria; 13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), nicknamed the Rich, was a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy who ruled a collection of states that included the duchies of Limburg, Brabant, Luxembourg, the counties of ...

under the guise of the Magdalen, but it has since been discovered to be her daughter, Margaret of Austria. The faint gilding in the shape of a halo above the head of the sitter implies it is of a saint, and she wears a dress similar to those worn by 16th century courtesans, which was representative of Mary Magdalene's sinful past. The jar of ointment which she holds was the usual attribute of the Magdalen, as she was known for pouring this ointment on Jesus's feet.

Notes

Sources

* Campbell, Lorne. ''The Fifteenth Century Netherlandish Schools''. London: National Gallery Publications, 1998. {{DEFAULTSORT:Magdalen, Master of the Legend of the 1480s births 1520s deaths Legend of the Magdalen, Master of the Early Netherlandish painters Artists from Brussels