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Magdalen washing the feet of Christ in the House of Simon

Maker

(artist)
1498-1574

Title

Date of Production

1566

Medium

black chalk, pen and brown ink on laid paper, with brown ink framing lines, incised for transfer, vestiges remain of black chalk preparation on verso

Dimensions

Height: 20.4 cm
Width: 25.4 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.1954

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

According to Saint Luke’s account in the Bible, a woman who lived a sinful life washed the feet of Christ with her tears at a banquet in the House of Simon, one of the Pharisees. This woman has historically been incorrectly conflated with Mary Magdalene, even though Luke does not name her, and numerous such depictions - including this drawing by Maerten van Heemskerck - name her as the Magdalen. Once a sinner, the the woman is now shown kneeling in humility as she lifts her flowing hair to dry Christ’s feet. Heemskerck splendidly adorned the composition with ornament, including the woman’s ointment jar in the foreground and elaborate fabrics throughout. This didactic scene is one of around 600 drawings Heemskerck produced for engraving.

Notes

One of two extant drawings for the undated engraved series 'The Eight Beatitudes', engraved by Herman Muller (see impression after this drawing, in the opposite sense, at the Rijksmuseum, RP-P-1907-1992). The Beatitudes were re-issued in the Theatrum Biblicum of 1674.

Provenance

Sir Thomas Lawrence, London (1769-1830), L.2445; Richardson; purchased from him by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), n.d. (£3); Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

Drawings Gallery Display - Renaissance Modern, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/04/2015-07/06/2015

The Witt Collection - Four centuries of drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/04/2004-20/06/2004

Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992 ...More

Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London; York City Art Gallery; Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953 ...Less

Literature

Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 44
pp. 96, 183
Fig. p. 97

Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London, York City Art Gallery and Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
cat. no. 94

Kerrich, T., A catalogue of the prints which have been engraved after Martin Heemskerck, London 1829
pp. 5-7

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Collector's mark: Recto: lower left corner, blindstamped: Sir Thomas Lawrence (L.2445).

Inscription: Recto: lower centre and right edge, brown ink, signed and dated by the artist: "M. Heemskerck in Ventor . 1566.". Verso: upper left, graphite: "Zehere originele" [?].

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