Francesco Albano (1578 – 1660), Workshop of - Santa Maria Maddalena penitente

Workshop of FRANCESCO ALBANI
(Bologna, 1578 – 1660)
Santa Maria Maddalena penitente
Oil on canvas, 97 x 71 cm
Frame size 115 x 90 x 5 cm approx.

NOTE: Publication catalog of works of the Intermidiart collection. Certificate of Legitimate Provenance. Work with wooden and gilded frame (defects):

We thank Prof. Stefano Causa for suggesting attribution to the workshop of Francesco Albani (Bologna, 1578 – 1660).

The painting depicts Saint Mary Magdalene Penitent according to the iconographic dictates arising from the Counter-Reformation, aimed at exalting the sacrament of penance through a deep and intimate emotional participation. The Saint is portrayed half-length within an oval format: her face raised and ecstatic directed toward the divine light, her hands joined in prayer and the long blonde hair falling loosely over the shoulders. At the bottom, an open book symbolizes meditation and the abandonment of terrestrial vanities, while in the background a rocky and wooded landscape unfolds beneath a sky pierced by clouds, an element typical of the naturalistic sensibility of Bologna origin.

The canvas fully fits into the production of Francesco Albani's workshop, reflecting that ideal classicism and that softness of chromatic texture that made the master from Bologna famous. The execution attests to the work of a collaborator with excellent technical skill, able to faithfully reproduce the delicacy of the flesh and the flowing drapery of the Saint’s mantle, echoing the successful models licensed by the Albani workshop to satisfy private collectors of the time.

We thank Prof. Stefano Causa for suggesting attribution to Francesco Albani’s workshop (Bologna, 1578 – 1660), from which the following excerpt is reported: “The painting constitutes an excellent replica, certainly ancient, of a prototype by the Bolognese painter Francesco Albani, preserved in the Capitoline Museums. Among others, there exists a second identical version in the Fesch Museum of Bastia [Stefano Causa]”

The present canvas, in fact, is part of a fortunate series of period replicas derived from the famous autograph prototype by Francesco Albani. The archetype of the composition is Saint Mary Magdalene Penitent (inventory PC 49) executed between 1635 and 1640, currently housed in the Capitoline Pinacoteca in Rome and historically coming from the prestigious Sacchetti collection (1750). The success of the iconographic formula is evidenced by the existence of other contemporary and identical redactions, including the one formerly belonging to the celebrated collection of Cardinal Joseph Fesch, now housed at the Musée Fesch in Bastia, Corsica.

Francesco Albani (Bologna, 1578 – 1660) is among the major protagonists of seventeenth-century classicism. He initially trained with the Flemish Denis Calvaert, then joined the celebrated Carrera School, where he absorbed the rigor of drawing and the study of nature.

In the early 1600s he moved to Rome, following Annibale Carracci, taking part in important decorative schemes and earning the favor of the great papal families. Returning permanently to Bologna in 1625, he launched a flourishing and prolific workshop, specializing in easel paintings of mythological and sacred subjects. Renowned for his idyllic atmospheres and arcadian landscapes of extraordinary chromatic softness, Albani enjoyed enormous success with private collectors of the time, spurring his collaborators to faithfully replicate the most fortunate compositions of the master.

The painting is in good overall condition. The original canvas has previously undergone a lining treatment (re-lining) that ensures structural stability to the textile support, affixed to a modern wooden frame.

The pictorial surface shows the natural and homogeneous network of cracking (aging craquelure), consistent with the age of the work. Under Wood lamp examination, small and widespread localized repainting interventions are found, mostly in the background areas and along the peripheral margins of the oval, where the original pigment has suffered from contact with the frame’s rabbet. The readability of the chiaroscuro transitions and the saint’s flesh tones remains fully preserved, protected by a light superficial varnish that appears slightly yellowed with time.

The measures of the canvas are 97 x 71 cm.

The painting is enriched by a gilded frame of striking effect (frame measurements 115 x 90 x 5 cm approx., with defects).
"The frame shown in the photos above was added to the artwork by the seller or a third party. The frame is provided to you free of charge so that it is ready for display upon arrival. The frame is included as a courtesy and is not considered an integral part of the artwork. Therefore, any potential damage to the frame that does not affect the artwork itself will not be accepted as valid grounds to open a claim or request order cancellation."

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

PUBLICATION:
- UNPUBLISHED QUADRERIA, General Catalog of the paintings in the Intermidiart Gallery collection by Andrea Maggio, 2026 (pdf).

In case of sale outside the Italian territory, the buyer must await the processing times for export procedures.