Lot 2049 Dα

Dottoressa Anna Lo Bianco has confirmed the attribution of this painting to the French artist Francois Perrier (via e-mail on 19.10.2020), making it one of the few known oil paintings by the artist, who is better known for his engravings. Born into a Burgundian family of goldsmiths, Perrier first travelled to Rome in 1625 and stayed there again from 1635 to 1645, where he initially trained under Giovanni Lanfranco and, during his second stay, created a series of one hundred engravings of ancient Roman works of art. In France, he exerted a decisive influence on Charles le Brun, who was his pupil from 1632 to 1634.
While the influence of the Classicist Roman Baroque is clearly evident in his work, Perrier's depictions of figures are marked by a certain French elegance. Both aspects are evident in the present work, which depicts the penitent Mary Magdalene in a dynamic pose, surrounded by earthly wealth but with her gaze turned imploringly toward heaven.