Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene by Lippo Memmi, brother-in-law and close collaborator of Simone Martini, represents the refined elegance of the Sienese Gothic school at its height. Lippo Memmi worked alongside Simone on major commissions including the famous Annunciation for Siena Cathedral, and his individual works share the same courtly grace and luminous color. Saint Mary Magdalene, shown with her traditional attribute of the ointment jar, was among the most popular female saints in medieval devotion.

Executed in tempera and gold on panel, the painting exemplifies the Sienese Gothic ideal of refined beauty through elegant linear contours, delicate facial modeling, and sumptuous decorative detail. The tooled gold ground with elaborate punchwork and the saint's richly patterned garments demonstrate the technical virtuosity of the Sienese workshop tradition.