Penitent Mary Magdalene in a Cave

Conservation of this painting was made possible by a generous contribution from Dena and Al Naylor. Born in Germany, Lingelbach is usually considered a Dutch artist because he moved to Amsterdam with his parents as a young teen. In the 1640s, he spent several years in Rome, and his later work reflects his interest in Italianate subjects and settings. According to Medieval legend, Mary Magdalene lived the last 30 years of her life in solitude in the Sainte Baume caves of southern France. Lingelbach depicts the dirt floor strewn with instruments of her prayer and penance—a skull, a whip, two books—along with some carrots and turnips. The rustic cross adorning and altar made of sticks contrasts with the saint’s radiant vision of the crucified Christ in the clouds above. This picturesque seaside cave is an actual ancient site, the Grotto of Tiberius in Sperlonga, 120 kilometers south of Rome.