Martha and Mary Magdalene

Influenced by the Counter-Reformation and Caravaggio, depictions of Mary Magdalene in the seventeenth century became more intimate, emphasizing her humanity as a repentant sinner and often depicting her with symbols of vanity, reflecting mortality (see for example the artist's Martha and Mary Magdalene, Detroit Institute of Art; and Penitent Magdalene, Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome). While the Gospels recount stories of Martha and Mary—such as Martha's active service contrasting with Mary's contemplative devotion (Luke 10:38–42), or their roles in the raising of Lazarus (John 11)—there is no account of a moral confrontation between the two sisters. Additionally, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany (Martha’s sister) are distinct figures in the Bible, though often conflated in Christian tradition.

This enigmatic painting shares stylistic similarities with a Magdalene in a private collection (oil on panel, 74 x 101 cm.; Anonymous sale; Sabourin OVV, Chatellerault, 18 November 2018, as 'l’entourage de Gérard Seghers'). Additionally, the composition is repeated in a painting of inferior quality (oil on canvas, 112.2 x 91.3 cm.; Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 5 May 2000, lot 59, as 'attributed to Louis Finson').