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

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

NOTE: Publication catalog of works from 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 the penitent according to iconographic dictates arising from the Counter-Reformation, aimed at highlighting the sacrament of penance through a deep and intimate emotional participation. The Saint is portrayed in half-figure within an oval format: her face lifted and ecstatic, directed toward the divine light, hands joined in prayer, and the long blonde hair falling loose over the shoulders. At the bottom, an open book symbolises meditation and the renunciation of earthly vanities, while in the background a rocky and wooded landscape opens under a sky cut by clouds, an element typical of the naturalistic sensitivity of Bologna origin.

The canvas fully fits within the production of Francesco Albani’s workshop, reflecting that ideal classicism and that softness of chromatic paste that made the master of Bologna famous. The execution attests to the work of a collaborator with excellent technical skill, capable of faithfully reproducing the delicacy of the skin tones and the flowing drapery of the Saint’s mantle, echoing the models of success licensed by the Albani workshop to satisfy private collectors of the time.

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

This canvas, in fact, fits into a fortunate series of period replicas derived from the famous autograph prototype by Francesco Albani. The progenitor of the composition is the Penitent Magdalene (inv. PC 49) executed between 1635 and 1640, now housed in the Capitoline Pinacoteca in Rome and historically from the prestigious Sacchetti collection (1750). The success of the iconographic formula is evidenced by the existence of other contemporary and identical redactions, among which stands out the one formerly belonging to the famous collection of Cardinal Joseph Fesch, now preserved at the Musée Fesch in Bastia, Corsica.

Francesco Albani (Bologna, 1578 – 1660) is among the principal figures of seventeenth-century classicism. He trained initially under the Flemish Denis Calvaert, then joined the famed Accademia dei Carracci, where he absorbed the rigor of drawing and the study of nature.

In the early seventeenth century he moved to Rome to accompany Annibale Carracci, participating in important decorative works and gaining the favor of great papal families. Returning permanently to Bologna in 1625, he established a flourishing and prolific workshop, specializing in easel paintings of mythological and sacred subjects. Renowned for his idyllic atmospheres and remarkably soft arias of color, Albani enjoyed enormous success with private collectors of the time, prompting his collaborators to faithfully replicate the most successful compositions of the master.

The painting is in good overall condition. The original canvas has previously undergone structural relining to ensure stability, stretched on a modern wooden frame.

The pictorial surface shows the natural and uniform network of craquelure appropriate to the period. Under Wood lamp examination, small and widespread localized restorations are found, mainly in the background areas and along the peripheral margins of the oval where the original pigment has been affected by contact with the edge of the frame. The legibility of the chiaroscuro and the flesh tones of the Saint remains fully preserved, protected by a light surface varnish that appears slightly aged.

The dimensions of the canvas are 97 x 71 cm.

The painting is enhanced by a gilded frame, of striking effect (frame dimensions are 115 x 90 x 5 approx., with defects).

“The frame shown in the photos above has been added to the artwork by the seller or a third party. The frame is provided at no additional cost so that it is ready for display as soon as it arrives. 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 for opening a claim or requesting order cancellation.”

PROVENIENCE: Private Collection

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

If the sale takes place outside the Italian territory, the purchaser must await the processing times for export paperwork.