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St Mary Magdalen

Bust
first half of sixteenth century
Artist/Maker
Rustici, Giovanni Francesco (sculptor)
Place of origin
Florence

This terracotta figure represents St Mary Magdalene, one of the most important female followers of Jesus Christ. She was present at the Crucifixion and burial and according to the New Testament was the first person to see the resurrected Christ.

This bust is related to a three-quarter length statue in terracotta in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. It is attributed to Giovanni Rustici on account of its similarity to a figure of St John the Baptist in a group over the North Door of the Baptistry in Florence.

Object details

Categories
ELISE
Biblical Imagery
Object type
Bust
TitleSt Mary Magdalen
Materials and techniques
terracotta
Terracotta
Brief description
Bust of St Mary Magdalene, Rustici, Florence, 1500-50
Physical description
This half-length figure of Mary Magdalen shows her nude with long knotted hair across her chest.
Dimensions
  • Height: 55.2cm
  • Width: 45.72cm
Dimension taken from object card as object inaccessible.
Object history
Purchased in London (£35 5s 6d). Previously in the Howel Wills collection, Florence.
Subject depicted
Mary Mag
Summary
This terracotta figure represents St Mary Magdalene, one of the most important female followers of Jesus Christ. She was present at the Crucifixion and burial and according to the New Testament was the first person to see the resurrected Christ.

This bust is related to a three-quarter length statue in terracotta in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. It is attributed to Giovanni Rustici on account of its similarity to a figure of St John the Baptist in a group over the North Door of the Baptistry in Florence.
Bibliographic references
  • Sénéchal, Philippe, Giovan Francesco Rustici, 1475-1554: un sculpteur de la Renaissance entre Florence et Paris, Paris, 2007, pp. 224-225.
  • Seymour, Charles, Jr. The Sculpture of Verrocchio London. 1971. pp. 128.
  • Raggio, Olga. 'Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum' in Art Bulletin vol. L. 1968. pp. 100
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1964. pp.402
  • Middledorf, Ulrich. 'New attributions to G. F. Rustici' in Burlington Magazine vol. LXVI. 1935. pp. 70-80.
  • MacLagan, E, and Longhurst, Margaret, H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. London: V&A, 1932. pp.26
  • List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1894. Arranged according to the dates of acquisition, with appendix and indices. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1895. pp. 22
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
157-1894

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Record createdMarch 7, 2000
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O33605/st-mary-magdalen-bust-rustici-giovanni-francesco/
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