Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy
Painting on canvas (subsequently relined) • Attributed to Francesco Furini (1603–1646) or his immediate circle. The soft, misty modeling and emotional intensity are characteristic of the artist, though the drapery execution may suggest a close follower or workshop assistant.
Style & Movement
Florentine Baroque / Sfumato / Tenebrism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas; employs sfumato and soft chiaroscuro typical of the Florentine Seicento, with delicate glazing and blended brushwork to create ethereal skin tones.
Creation Period
Circa 1630–1640
Dimensions & Format
90 cm x 70 cm (Canvas); 110 cm x 90 cm (Framed); Portrait orientation.
Subject Description
The painting depicts a female figure, likely Mary Magdalene, in a state of religious ecstasy or divine contemplation. Seated and looking heavenward with an open mouth and one hand raised, she is enveloped in a blue mantle over a cream tunic. A putto or cherub is faintly visible in the lower-left shadows, a common iconographic element in devotional Baroque art representing divine love.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good. The work has been recently cleaned and stabilized. The 19th-century relining has preserved the structural integrity of the original canvas support.
Estimated Market Value
$15,000 - $25,000 USD (dependent on definitive attribution confirmation)
Auction Estimate
$10,000 - $18,000 USD
Provenance History
Unknown private collection; structural evidence (relining) suggests professional care in the mid-19th century. The current frame is an 18th or 19th-century carved and polychrome 'Salvator Rosa' style or Florentine provincial frame.
Art Historical Significance
Furini was a leading figure in 17th-century Florence, known for combining the sensuality of Correggio with the 'sfumato' of Leonardo. This work represents the Counter-Reformation trend of portraying saints in heightened emotional and physical states to inspire piety.
Notable Features
The 'sfumato' technique around the eyes and mouth creates a characteristic Furinesque 'melancholy' or 'softness'. The frame, featuring turquoise polychrome and gilded foliate scrolls, is a significant decorative element that complements the blue drapery.
Condition Issues
Evidence of historic relining approximately 150 years ago; minor surface retouching visible under UV light following recent cleaning; slight flattening of the impasto due to the heat/pressure of the old relining process.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain in a climate-controlled environment (45-55% humidity). The new anti-UV varnish provides protection, but direct sunlight should still be avoided. No immediate restoration is required.
Collector Notes
Francesco Furini - attributed to. On canvas laid down into a new canvas pry sucky 150 years ago with some minor restorations. The painting has been cleaned very recently with minor fresh retouching and anti - uv varnish applied. Overall 110 cm x 90 cm and the painting 90cm x 70cm