Not currently on display at the V&A

The Ecstasy of the Magdalene

Relief
first half of 15th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Master of the David and St John Statuettes (sculptor)
Place of origin
Florence (made)

This terracotta relief, represents the Assuption of Saint Mary Magdalen and is made by the Master of the David and St. John Statuettes.

The Master of the David and St. John Statuettes is a name assigned by scholars to the artists (there were at least two) who created a series of small sculptures on these and other biblical themes.

This composition must have enjoyed some popularity as it exists in versions in the Louvre, the Musee Bonnat at Bayonne and elsewhere.


Object details

Categories
Christianity
Religion
Sculpture
Reliefs
Object type
Relief
Titles
  • The Ecstasy of the Magdalene (generic title)
  • Assumption of St. Mary Magdalene (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Terracotta relief
Terracotta
Relief
Brief description
Relief, terracotta, 'The Assumption of Saint Mary Magdalen', by the Master of the David and St John Statuettes, Florence, first half of 15th century
Physical description
This oval relief in terracotta represents the Saint standing in full-length in prayer, with head inclined slightly to her right. She wears a dress of skins, and her long hair falls on her shoulders. The central figure is framed by a mandorla of seven cherub heads with clouds. Two further cherub heads appear beneath her feet.
Dimensions
  • Height: 55.9cm
  • Width: 32.9cm
Object history
Bought from the Gigli-Campana Collection for £10 in 1861.
Historical context
This composition must have enjoyed some popularity as it exists in versions in the Louvre, the Musee Bonnat at Bayonne and elsewhere.
Subjects depicted
Cherub Heads
Clouds
Summary
This terracotta relief, represents the Assuption of Saint Mary Magdalen and is made by the Master of the David and St. John Statuettes.

The Master of the David and St. John Statuettes is a name assigned by scholars to the artists (there were at least two) who created a series of small sculptures on these and other biblical themes.

This composition must have enjoyed some popularity as it exists in versions in the Louvre, the Musee Bonnat at Bayonne and elsewhere.
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1861. In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 25
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. Text. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932, p. 62
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Volume I: Text. Eighth to Fifteenth Century. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964, pp. 194, 195
  • Sénéchal, Philippe, Giovan Francesco Rustici, 1475-1554: un sculpteur de la Renaissance entre Florence et Paris, Paris, 2007, pp. 222-223.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
7605-1861

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O313486/the-ecstasy-of-the-magdalene-relief-master-of-the/
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