santa maria maddalena portata in cielo e due donatori
Arrigo di Niccolò·1395
Historical Context
Arrigo di Niccolò's depiction of Saint Mary Magdalene carried to heaven by angels (c. 1395) at San Bartolomeo in via Cava represents a popular late medieval devotional subject drawn from the Golden Legend. The Magdalene's aerial elevation by angels—her daily communion with the divine during her years of penitence—was a beloved theme in Tuscan Gothic art, emphasizing the possibility of spiritual transformation through repentance. Arrigo di Niccolò was a minor Tuscan painter working in the orbit of the Sienese school during the late Trecento.
Technical Analysis
Tempera and gold leaf on panel in the late Sienese Gothic manner. The composition centers on the ascending figure of the Magdalene supported by angels, with donor portraits at the base reflecting the work's commemorative function alongside its devotional purpose.
