Mary Magdalene, Bernardino Ludovisi

Artwork Overview

Bernardino Ludovisi, Mary Magdalene
Bernardino Ludovisi, Mary Magdalene
Bernardino Ludovisi
Mary Magdalene
circa 1735–1740
Bernardino Ludovisi
circa 1693–1749
Mary Magdalene, circa 1735–1740
Where object was made: Italy
Material/technique: marble
Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 33.6 x 51.4 x 27.6 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 13 1/4 x 20 1/4 x 10 7/8 in
Weight (Weight): 60 lbs
Credit line: Museum purchase
Accession number: 1958.0097
Not on display
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Images

Label texts

Empire of Things
Marble is made of metamorphosed limestone, which was once organic material, typically the sedimentary deposits of shallow, ancient seas. Through great mastery of the medium, Ludovisi reanimates cold and hard marble to become Mary Magdalene’s warm and supple flesh, her luxurious flowing hair, diaphanous drapery, and the rough-hewn rocks surrounding her. The chiseled rocks and the drill marks in the concavities of the sculpture provide evidence of the artist’s hand.

Exhibitions

Empire of Things
Kris Ercums, curator
Kate Meyer, curator
2016–2021
Empire of Things
Kris Ercums, curator
Kate Meyer, curator
2013–2015

Citations

Hyland, Douglas, and Marilyn Stokstad, eds. Catalogue of the Sculpture Collection: Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art. Lawrence, Kansas: Spencer Museum of Art, The University of Kansas, 1981.

Broun, Elizabeth. Handbook of the Collection: Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art. Lawrence, Kansas: Spencer Museum of Art, The University of Kansas, 1978.

Stokstad, Marilyn, ed. The Handbook of the Museum of Art. Lawrence, Kansas: The University of Kansas, 1962.

"The Register of the Spencer Museum of Art: The Humanist in the Art Museum." Vol. 5, no. 7, Spring (1979):

Brooking, Dolo, and Sally Hoffmann. Treasures and Pleasures: Exploring Art. Lawrence, Kansas: The University of Kansas Museum of Art, 1977.