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The Kimbell Art Museum announced its acquisition of the “Penitent Mary Magdalene” by Artemisia Gentileschi, which was created between 1625-26. (Courtesy image | Kimbell Art Museum)
” data-medium-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Artemisia-Gentileschi-Penitent-Mary-Magdalene-.jpg-scaled.jpg?fit=259%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Artemisia-Gentileschi-Penitent-Mary-Magdalene-.jpg-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C905&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button”>For nearly 400 years Artemisia Gentileschi’s “Penitent Mary Magdalene” has been tucked away in private collections — until now.The Kimbell Art Museum announced its acquisition of the painting Friday.Gentileschi earned her place as one of the preeminent Italian artists of the 17th century in a field that was dominated by men.“The Kimbell has long wished to acquire a work by Artemisia Gentileschi but until now never found the right painting for its collection by this major figure of Italian Baroque art,” Kimbell Art Museum Director Eric Lee said in a press release.The painting was created shortly before her best known work “Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes,” a dramatically lit and bloody scene that depicts an Israeli woman and her maidservant beheading the invading Assyrian general Holofernes.“Penitent Mary Magdalene,” on the other hand, portrays a tender, intimate scene of a saint resting her head on one hand as her sleeve falls down her opposite shoulder. The work is symbolic of her disavowing the vanity and materialism that preceded her spiritual awakening.“Although the composition is well known through copies in Spain and Mexico, nothing compares with seeing the newly rediscovered, emotive original in person, with its bold design, delicate brushwork, and subtle variations of light and shadow,” Lee said.“Penitent Mary Magdalene” now hangs on the walls of the museum’s Louis I. Kahn Building as part of its permanent collection, which is free to access. Marcheta Fornoff covers arts and culture for the Fort Worth Report. Reach her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.