Ambrosius Benson: Sacred Temptation

Mary Magdalene, penitent saint or alluring beauty? Lombardian artist Ambrosius Benson brought both glamour and darkness to Northern painting. This exquisite work sees him conjure up a version of the biblical figure in 16th-century Flanders.

The burghers of Bruges still had it good at the start of the 16th century – gold coins piled high upon the green-draped tables of family-run bancos from Florence or Milan, merchants sold bolts of renowned Flemish cloth to buyers from as far afield as Spain or the Baltic, and seemingly every tongue could be heard in its bustling market square. But how could these cosmopolitan, well-heeled citizens present themselves contemplating the life of Christ with the necessary humility? How could they square the circle, between worldly wealth and divine poverty, and still project a fashionable and successful exterior to outsiders?

One artist who had a unique answer to this question was the Italo-Flemish master Ambrosius Benson. In his penitent Magdalene which will be offered by Dorotheum in Vienna on 9 November 2022, he shows not the only Mary Magdalene mentioned in the strict biblical accounts, but draws also on Italian medieval iconographic tradition. This conflates the Magdalene with two other saints also called Mary – Mary of Egypt, a prostitute who spent 30 days repenting in the desert, and Mary of Bethany a sinner who anointed Jesus. As such, instead of some modestly dressed maiden of the Holy Land, we see here a seductive beauty, replete with rouged-cheeks, gazing at a chased, gilded perfume jar.  

Not only is this Mary Magdalene fashionable in terms of what she wears – lustrous velvets and fine lace, very much the trappings of Brugeoise luxury of the 1530s – but she is entirely on-trend in terms of her artistic setting. The dramatic darkness of the background and rich green drapes framing the picture space contrast brilliantly with her light flesh tones. Benson came from Lombardy, and like his compatriot Leonardo da Vinci, he uses an intense chiaroscuro effect that a savvy collector would recognise and instantly want to hang on a townhouse or castle wall to show their keeping-up with Italianate trends.  

Much like the Screaming Popes of Francis Bacon today, the popularity of Benson’s Magdalene compositions led to several versions being painted by the master, although the present picture is one of the few remaining in private hands. From the 1520s to the 2020s, our perhaps not-so-penitent saint remains highly sought after, a grande dame of Bruges who is still hot-to-trot today.  

Damian Brenninkmeyer is an expert in Old Master Paintings at Dorotheum in London. Sigmund Oakeshott is an Art Historian also based in London.

View now the auction catalogue and read our new myART MAGAZINE