This Thursday we will be discussing the early Italian Renaissance in Florence, which is in many ways a counterpart to Bruges (the hometown of Jan van Eyck) in northern Europe. Yet unlike in Bruges, it was sculpture rather than painting that dominated the achievements of Florentine art during the fifteenth century. The sculptor Donatello was one of the greatest artists in the city who produced several works, likely including this wooden statue of Mary Magdalene, for the Florence Cathedral. Mary Magdalene was a prostitute who converted to Christianity and became a follower of Christ. According to legend, she became an extreme penitent after Christ's death, living in the wilderness and devoting herself to prayer. Donatello depicts her here during this period at the end of her life. The sculpture would originally have been fully painted and was even partially gilded with gold leaf. How does Donatello use details such as texture, pose, etc. to heighten the drama of Magdalene's figure and emphasize her piety? Does anything surprise you about this work as an example of Italian Renaissance art, based on your prior knowledge and expectations?
In Donatello’s sculpture of Mary Magdalene, there are a few key elements that convey a feeling of piety and drama. Firstly, Mary is not looking the viewer in the eye, but off into the distance as if communicating with something beyond the viewer in a spiritual plane. The way her eyes are open and unfocused add to this sense of drama and mystery. Similarly, the rest of her appearance is unkempt and messy, making the focal point at her eyes – the viewer is brought back to spiritual mystery. For instance her hair is not formed into luscious curls but hangs limply around her, giving the appearance of being unwashed and unkempt. Her body is also not curved or voluptuous, as she is usually depicted, but hard and linear, with the musculature in her arms and neck especially highlighted as her hands come together in prayer. Her clothes also are meager and scrappy and remind me of the animal pelts commonly worn by John the Baptist when he is also in the wilderness. Finally, the stand she is on resembles uneven rock, resembling the wilderness surroundings.
ReplyDeletegreat point about Magdalene's gaze off into the distance, as if she is communicating with the divine realm and deep in prayer
DeleteSomething surprising about this painting is the medium Donatello chose to use. Wooden sculptures are not often associated with Renaissance art. Donatello's use of this medium, however, serves to heighten the drama of this piece by emphasizing Mary Magdalene's unclean background. The texture and roughness of the wood makes her seem more beast-like than human. Her almost-animal portrayal is another way this sculpture differs from other Renaissance art. Many Renaissance artists were fascinated with the human body, and spent years studying and trying to perfect the human form. In this sculpture, Donatello does not seem to elevate Mary Magdalene's body, but rather imbues her grotesque qualities, such as her neck and the wrinkles on her face. Her expression is also rather unappealing- she looks morose or in pain. Her unhappy facial expression is in line with her hands, which she is holding in a prayer position. The juxtaposition of her face and hands also invokes drama within this piece because it suggests that she is desperate and praying to God to be made clean.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely, Ruth is right that the choice of wood for the sculpture helps to emphasize Magdalene's rejection of worldly vanities and the extreme rustic state of her penitence in the wilderness
DeleteIn this piece Mary Magdalene is depicted as an old, skinny, and unappealing woman. She is not depicted in a very attractive or appealing way. Mary Magdalene is standing, leaning to the side, with her weight clearly on one leg over the other, and she has her hands together. By depicting her with her hands together, she seems to be in some type of prayer, or asking for something from God in a very needy way. While there is a lot of attention to detail in this piece, it is different from what we have seen earlier. The detail in her clothing, makes it look, old and raggedy, which is much unlike what we have seen earlier, where figures are usually depicted in a good light with detail that helps eventuate their beauty. When looking at Mary Magdalene's face, there is a seemingly sad and lifeless expression. This is surprising because , if this piece was originally painted and/or gilded, one would think that it would be portraying Mary Magdalene in a better light, since at the end of the day she was a big follower of Christ and was committed to God. Yet, Donatello doesn't seem concerned with that in this piece, rather he seems to be going for a lesser depiction of Mary Magdalene.
ReplyDeleteit is definitely true that when the piece was originally polychromed and gilded, there would have been an even greater contrast between the color and costly material and her haggard and penitent state of being
DeleteIn this sculpture of Mary Magdalene Donatello used some very interesting techniques to show her piety, and her humbleness. She is wearing a loose fitting dress that seems to be made out of plant matter. This garment is not luxurious or accentuating, and it truly reveals how simply Mary Magdalene lived. Her body, unlike many renaissance sculptures, looks very frail and worn down. Her arms look very small and weak, and her face is very thin. Her bones also seem to be protruding. All of these elements solidify the idea that she is weak and aging, but her hands are up in position to pray. This reinforces the idea that even though she was frail she uses her remaining strength to pray to God. I do find it ironic that a sculpture that seems to be intended to show humbleness would be gilded with gold leaf. It just seems counterintuitive.
ReplyDeleteexcellent point about how Magdalene's strong gesture of prayer shows how she uses all the remaining energy in her frail body towards the pursuit of piety
DeleteWhen I think of the Renaissance, one of the first things that comes to mind is the study of proportions in the human body, specifically fuller figures. As a few people above have mentioned, Mary looks so gaunt and frail with emphasis on her her bones (such as the ulna in her arm) to really emphasize the effect of the time she had spent in the woods. It seems like she can't even press her hands together in the traditional way in which the palms touch, which is indicative of her decaying body. It's interesting that her contraposture pose gives her some life while her face doesn't. Her eyes are really sunken in and she looks tired.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bailey and Harry in that gilding this statue contradicts the humbleness and weakness this statue is trying to portray. But, seeing the statue as it is and knowing that is supposed to be ornate relates to the story of Mary. The rough, wooden structure is representative of Mary's life as a prostitute before devoting herself to Christianity, and the gilded outside would show how the Christian world recognizes her as a saint, despite her past.
Molly is right that Magdalene is standing in a kind of classical contrapposto pose, which is striking here since her body is so evacuated of life and musculature -- Donatello uses a classical model but then reverses the viewer's expectations to emphasize Magdalene's devotional state
DeleteThe disheveled hair, the sunken eyes and the dilapidated clothes give Mary Magdalene this "wild look,"which fits into the story of her life where she lived in the woods devoting her entire life to God. There is a lot of implied gesture like the Greek sculptures. She is in a posture of "almost praying," as her hands are not clasped, and is also about to take a step forward. Her gaze is not focused on the audience. She seems to be looking at the far distance almost at "God." Because of the natural elements of the sculpture, the material of her clothes and the rock she is standing on, the image that Donatello wanted to create seems to be the first women on earth: Eve.
ReplyDeleteThe stark contrast between the italian Renaissance sculptor and Donatellos' is, firstly, material. Mary Magdalene is not created from marble. Italian Renaissance sculptor is also sculpted to show muscle, while MAry Magdalene is depicted as very gaunt.
the rock on which Magdalene stands and her clothes made of rough animal hide definitely emphasize her connection to the wilderness where she retreated in prayer -- this makes her the very opposite of Eve whose sin banished her from Paradise, whereas Magdalene's piety is here making her one with divine nature and God
DeleteOne of the things I found unique when seeing this sculpture for the first time is the contrast between how Donatello portrays her hands versus the rest of her body. Mary Magdalene's body and face are gaunt and look unkempt, she is overall unattractive and seems to almost embody pain or discomfort. However, when just viewing her hands, the sculpture is smooth, elegant and looks peaceful. This may be suggestive of Christianity's ability to save even the lowest member of society. Her hands could represent her piety while the rest of her body reflects the prostitute/sinner that she used to be.
ReplyDeleteRebecca is definitely right that the abject state of Magdalene's body reflects her rejection of her former worldly career as a prostitute and sinner
DeleteMary Magdalene’s piety is emphasized through the contrast with her former self as a prostitute. Unlike a prostitute’s soft, sensual body, Mary Magdelene’s body is bony and unattractive. Her facial features are rigid and strong which gives off a masculine energy. Her facial expressions, additionally, are both stern and hopeful. Her left eye seems to be looking in the distance as if she is looking towards God while her right eye seems to be looking down in a sincere and repentant manner. Mary Magdalene has a very earthy and grounded appearance that can be seen in her clothing and hair. Her hair and clothing blend together in the same way a plant, such as a vine, would, with time, naturally intertwine with each other. The wood medium of the sculpture unifies the entire artwork and establishes Mary Magdelene as an earthy woman. The connection with nature in Mary Magdalene’s appearance emphasizes her humility in the eyes of God and that humans, just like plants, are insignificant and small compared to God.
ReplyDeleteThis sculpture surprises me since it seems different from Italian Renaissance art that I’ve seen before. I usually imagine paintings that focus on beauty of the body, but Donatello’s Mary Magdalene is relatively ugly and is wood sculpture.
as we also discussed in lecture, Maggie is right that there is a certain masculine harshness to Magdalene's features that again emphasizes her turn away from outward feminine charms and the path of prostitution
DeleteAlthough most sculptures within Italian Renaissance art portrayed women with volume, smooth skin, and graceful poses, the sculpture of Mary Magdalene appear rough with masculine features. Mary Magdalene almost looks like a fatigued, poor man. Donatello denies all the characteristics of ideal beauty - even Mary's hair appears as uncombed or unwashed, and it almost flows into her shaggy dress. His portrayal of Mary Magdalene communicates her rejection of worldly ideals of wealth and beauty.
ReplyDeletea nice summary that compliments many of the other comments above
DeleteThe roughness and texture of the wood depicts Mary Magdalene as a beast-like figure. Her body appears to be frail and boney and her dress resembles vines from the woods. This demonstrates the simplicity of her life. This is much different than previous Renaissance sculptures. Art from this time usually portrays beauty. The sculpture of Mary Magdalene is rather ugly and unusual.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely, the ugliness of Magdalene's body points to her holiness, countering our usual expectations that beauty = divine in Renaissance art
DeleteThe sculpture's posture imitates that of similar iconography of Christ. The hands are together in prayer, with the weight leaning to one side and one knee bent. The shift in weight implies motion. This type of pose is very common in images of Christ. The face is also looking off to side, and is non-confrontational. It makes it look like she is looking at someone, or having a conversation. The texture of the fabric, hair, and body is very interesting. It looks like it has been hand-shaped like clay, not wood. It is very organic and intimate in that sense. The hair and the clothes are very vinelike and disheveled. The clothes are also very simplistic, in order to show her piety. Her facial expression is also not one of a beautiful woman, which also describes her humility and modesty. She is very gaunt, which would be a connection to her life in the wilderness. She is also placed on a base that looks like a rock. This is significant in contrast to a pedestal, which would indicate power. Instead, her relationship to nature and God is emphasized even more.
ReplyDeleteHaley makes a good point that Magdalene's prayer and deliberate acceptance of physical suffering links her to Christ and his suffering on earth for the sake of mankind's sins
DeleteMary Magdalene puts his palms together. And this gesture is definitely related to Christianity and her piety. She is also bony and the texture of the sculpture is coarse instead of smooth, showing the simple clothes she wears. This is a very interesting choice because Mary Magdalene used to be a prostitute. This dramatic change in appearance stressed that she is no more obsessed with physical world, but focuses on mental purity and piety.
ReplyDeleteexactly, Magdalene has here rejected the external physical world for an internal pursuit of spirituality. She is focused not on the visible but on the invisible, going back to the dichotomy we discussed with the structure of the Gothic cathedral and Christian notions of spiritual ascent
DeleteThe position and gesture of Mary Magdalene's hands seem to resemble praying hands, showing her submission to a higher power. Further, her indirect gaze seems remorseful, as if she is asking for forgiveness from Christ. Lastly, her ragged long hair and simplistic garb show that she is unmaterialistic and has been living in the wilderness for a long time.
ReplyDelete-Andie Wei
Andie also makes an interesting point about how Magdalene's penitence is not only directed towards the next life and spiritual ascent, but also shows her remorse over, and rejection of, her former life as a prostitute
DeleteI think the most obvious sign of her piety is the position of her hands, which are almost in prayer position. Donatello exaggerates the draping on her clothes and the raggedness of her hair and face to emphasize her rough living in the woods. Also the fact that she isn't wearing shoes shows how natural she has become.
ReplyDeletegood point about the fact that Magdalene is barefoot, a common feature of saints who live as ascetic hermits -- by exposing herself to the elements, she demonstrates her rejection of worldly concerns
DeleteAfter viewing the sculpture and reading about its background I really noticed a stark contrast between humility and extravagance. Here we have a woman who has given away her life to pray and devote herself entirely to Christ and is depicted in tattered clothes looking slightly downward in a prayer position. Ok this seems pretty humble right? Well while the subject matter is very low key, Donatello's execution is quite striking. He portrays her hair and clothes as an intricate, interweaving texture that seems to envelop the figure and take on its own character. The eyes are sunken in to reveal a depth to Magdalene and what she has seen and experienced in her lifetime. Lastly, while not shown but stated in the description, the gold and paint garnished onto the sculpture suggests a glory that extends beyond the modest life on Earth and into the afterlife if one follows the teachings of Christ. Donatello uses juxtaposition as his tool to depict the significant honor in a life piety like Magdalene's.
ReplyDeletelovely description about how Magdalene's hair and rough clothing meld together in their texture, having a vitality that seems even greater than Magdalene's actual body -- she is so overtaken with her ascetic lifestyle that her physical body seems to be disappearing under her garments and unkempt locks
DeleteMary appears ragged and exhausted. The way her hair seamlessly blends into her tattered clothes creates a sense of nakedness and vulnerability. Her hair also clumps in places on her head and face which implies it is not washed. I was always under the impression that Renaissance sculptors were attempting to emulate the classical Greek and Roman styles. While I see that Donatello borrowed some ideas from Greece and Rome such as posture, this sculpture as a whole is unlike any examples of Greco-Roman sculpture that we've seen. Mary is old, in poor health, and destitute. Especially in the top image Mary appears disproportionately thin. We have seen only healthy, youthful bodies from the Greco-Roman styles thus far (discounting the depictions of people being killed in unnatural ways). Mary's lack of idealized features could represent Donatello's innovation and his laying of groundwork for a more expressive type of sculpture.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, Patrick is right that Donatello here demonstrates that Renaissance art was not about simply imitating Greco-Roman models but also pushing in new directions of expression and approach to the physical form, which here serves to powerfully convey Magdalene's ascetic state
DeleteThis sculpture draws you into Mary Magdalene's face, primarily with her eyes. They are set deep in her face and portray a sense of grief, and almost of shame, as she is not looking viewers in the eye. Her hands are in the position of prayer also indicating that she has things to be guilty of that she is looking to God to forgive her for. However, because she is praying it can be seen that she is now living a pious life looking for renewal. Her hair appears matted, as do her clothes, causing viewers without background on the piece to be curious as to why she is so disheveled. One surprising thing about this piece is that Donatello shows Mary as dirty and unkempt. Most artists until this point have focused on the idealized figure. However, upon closer inspection, Donatello still has aspects of the idealized figure. Mary's arms and legs are not covered by her clothing, and they appear to be thin yet still muscular. Thus, Donatello is still showing off his ability to display an ideal human body.
ReplyDeleteKelly makes a good point that Donatello does still demonstrate his ability to portray the human body convincingly with musculature and facial/gestural expression. Here the "ideal body" is not that of a strong hero but of a woman who has renounced physical things in pursuit of the inward beauty of spiritual union with God
DeleteOne detail I find particularly interesting about this sculpture is the hands. They are almost clasped together in a position of prayer, but not quite. The gesture of folding one’s hands in prayer is a symbol of fidelity and loyalty to God; such a posture is also believed to calm the mind. The fact that her hands are not quite touching shows a lack of loyalty and fidelity to God and a lack of calmness. However, the proximity of the hands to one another suggests a striving for a fidelity to God (and in return God’s acceptance). Other aspects of this sculpture suggest a striving for God’s acceptance; her stance suggests and attempt to imitate that of a saint’s, however everything is off: her clothes are tattered, her hair is a mess, she isn’t wearing shoes, her stance is uneven, she’s glancing askew. All these aspects demonstrate how she falls short in her attempt to seek God’s acceptance.
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