''Mary Magdalene'' is a tempera painting by

Konstantinos Tzanes Konstantinos Tzanes ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Τζάνες, 1633 – 1685; also known as Bounialis ( el, Μπουνιαλής) Konstantinos Tzane-Bounialis, Konstantinos Zane, or Konstantinos Tzane) was a Greek Renaissance painter. He ...

. Tzanes was a Greek painter active during the late Cretan Renaissance. Tzanes and his brothers migrated from Crete to Venice. His brother was famous painter

Emmanuel Tzanes Emmanuel Tzanes ( el, Εμμανουήλ Τζάνες, 1610 – 28 March 1690), also known as Bounialis ( el, Μπουνιαλής) Emmanuel Tzane-Bounialis, Emmanuel Zane, and Emmanuel Tzane. He was a Greek Renaissance painter. He was an a ...

. They were both active during the 17th century. Twenty-one of his paintings survived. Both brothers uniquely contributed to the

maniera greca Italo-Byzantine is a style term in art history, mostly used for medieval paintings produced in Italy under heavy influence from Byzantine art. It initially covers religious paintings copying or imitating the standard Byzantine icon types, but pa ...

. They made drastic improvements to the style redefining space and color. Their work is comparable to

Michael Damaskinos Michael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos ( el, Μιχαήλ Δαμασκηνός, 1530/35–1592/93) was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter. He is a major representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished in the 16th and 1 ...

. Mary Magdalene was a subject painted by countless artists both Greek and Italian. She was a notable figure associated with Jesus and the apostles. Her task was to

anoint Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body. By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, or oth ...

his body after his death. Famous Venetian painter

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italians, Italian (Republic of Venice, Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school (art), ...

created multiple paintings of

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...

. Printmaking became extremely popular since the onset of the

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in wh ...

in the 15th century. Jan Sadeler I was a Renaissance Flemish engraver. He began his career in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

but finally migrated to Venice with his son and brother. He died in the city in 1600. His engravings inspired countless Greek painters namely

Theodore Poulakis Theodore Poulakis ( el, Θεόδωρος Πουλάκης; 1622–1692) was a Greek Renaissance painter and teacher. He is considered the father of the Heptanese School and one of the most prolific painters of Venetian Crete. Poulakis was a me ...

, Demetrios Stavrakis and Tzanes. His engraving of Mary Magdalene was the framework for Tzanes's painting. Tzanes stayed loyal to the Greek style but integrated the Flemish prototype. Mary Magdalene is part of the collection of the Hellenic Institute in Venice, Italy.

Description

The materials used for the painting are gold leaf and egg tempera. The height is 32.5 cm (12.8 in) and the width is 26 cm (10.2 in). The Sadeler print was made from a copper engraving. Tzanes adopted some of the components in his painting from Sadeler's work namely the ointment jar and the coffin in the foreground. The facial expression and stance of Mary are also similar to Sadeler's work. Both the Sadeler and Tzanes resemble Titan's work. Tzanes attempts to create a foreground, a middle ground, and a background. In the foreground, an ointment jar and an empty tomb appear with a holy towel resting on its side. She arrived to anoint his body. The ointment jar contained sacred oils. Diagonal lines on the edges of the surfaces in the foreground clarify the distinction of space. In the middle ground, a suffering Magdalene weeps the death of her savior. Her facial expression resembles Sadeler's work. Mary’s hands are interlocked over her left knee. Her red hair falls over her shoulders. Mary’s flesh tones and facial features blend adequately delivering the painter's desired result. She is suffering and gazing into space. Her garment features striation folds of fabric, clear lines, groves, and unshapely form. There are also elaborate decorations on her garment. The green blends into the landscape, shadows separate the colors. The painter also uses a distinguishing red color. He employs the

cangiante According to the theory of the art historian Marcia B. Hall, which has gained considerable acceptance, ''cangiante'' is one of the canonical painting modes of the Renaissance; i.e. one of the four modes of painting colours available to Italian Hig ...

method. The mountain's shape, color, and form are prototypes of the

Cretan School Cretan School describes an important school of icon painting, under the umbrella of post-Byzantine art, which flourished while Crete was under Venetian rule during the late Middle Ages, reaching its climax after the Fall of Constantinople, becom ...

. Damaskinos and Tzafouris both use the landscape in their works. It is emblematic of the Cretan style. The trees behind the mountain also define space. Finally, in the far distant background to the left, the painter adds three crosses. The crosses symbolize the crucifixion and the important role Magdalene played in the series of events. In her scene, she arrives to anoint the body as she promised. The body was not there. Her expression of sorrow is clearly relayed by the painter. The painting was first documented in 1683, it belonged to a church. The same icon was documented in 1700 and 1742. By 1764, the painting was part of the collection of the Greek Brotherhood of Venice. In 1904, further details were added by historians. They described the work as a painting on wood and noted the painter was Konstantinos Tzanes. In 1949, scholars concluded that his signature was on the back of the icon. The painting was also located in the Scoletta (

Flanginian School The Flanginian School ( el, Φλαγγίνειος Σχολή, it, Collegio Flanginiano) was a Greek educational institution that operated in Venice, Italy, from 1664-1665 to 1905. The Flanginian produced several teachers that contributed to the ...

). The painting finally became part of the official collection of the Hellenic Institute of Venice after the 1950s.

Gallery

File:Jan Sadler Mary Magdalene.png, Jan Sadeler Mary Magdalene File:Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) (Italian - The Penitent Magdalene - Google Art Project.jpg,

's Magdalene File:Christ Bearing the Cross MET DP215890.jpg, Tzafouris Cretan Mountain

References

{{Late Cretan Renaissance 17th-century paintings Paintings in Venice Cretan Renaissance paintings Paintings depicting Mary Magdalene