French School Of The Nineteenth Century - Marie Madeleine

French school of the first half of the 19th century
Sainte Marthe et Marie Madeleine
Oil on canvas 46 x 38 cm
On the back, handwritten references referring to a catalog (unidentified)

At first sight, we see two women, one represented naked, holding the right part of the abdomen following an injury, whose weapon is a dagger fallen on the ground. Another woman, wearing a nimbus stands and covers the first with a white cloth. In the background, a haloed figure stands out in a street scene with a crowd. Although this iconography is unusual, it seems that Mary Magdalene and her sister, Martha of Bethany, are represented here. More precisely, this episode could be the final phase of Mary Magdalene's conversion, this moment when, as a sign of renunciation of the past, she leaves her wealth on the ground. If we look closer, many elements match: the ointment vase, the white pearl necklace, the long golden hair of Mary Magdalene, the purse scattered on the floor, the presence of Christ in the background. The bloody dagger remains an enigma in this episode, but it could symbolize the human sacrifice that Mary Magdalene made towards Christ. As for the attribution of this work, a reference to Eugène Delacroix is mentioned handwritten on the stretcher, with an inventory number (“cat. n° 746 – Ref. 478), but no trace could be validated at this day.