José Gutierrez de la Vega, (Sevilla, 1781-Madrid, 1865). Marie Madeleine

He was a painter in the Royal Chamber, professor and director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Seville and member of the Board of Directors of the Literary and Artistic High School of Madrid, a founding institution for the dissemination of romantic ideas. In 1830 he painted the family portrait of the English consul Mr. W. Brackenbury, a friend of the artist. In 1831 he won the first prize in the competition organized by the magazine "La Gaceta" and moved to Madrid with Antonio María Esquivel to take up the post of professor at the Royal Academy of San Fernando. Based in Madrid, he regularly exhibits at numerous exhibitions at the Academy and the Lyceum of Madrid. This work by José Gutiérrez de la Vega, produced in 1840, reflects the inspiration of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo's baroque painting, which is a new romantic perspective. In the painting, the figure of Mary Magdalene appears in an attitude of prayer and with a downcast and serene gaze towards a cross supported by a skull. Long hair covers her chest so that the body is enveloped in voluminous clothing that creates strong contrasts.