Mary Magdalene in the Wilderness (after Palma Giovane)
- Artist: David Teniers II
- Date: 1650-56
- Medium: oil on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Mary Magdalene in the Wilderness (after Palma Giovane)” by David Teniers II. Painted in oil on a small wooden panel between 1650 and 1656, it represents Teniers’ meticulous copy of an Italian Renaissance original. The artist created this version as part of his preparation for the 1660 publication of the *Theatrum Pictorium*, the first printed and illustrated catalogue of a major art collection.
The catalogue documented more than 1,300 paintings owned by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, governor of the Southern Netherlands from 1646 to 1656. Teniers produced 243 small copies, many of which were sent to specialist engravers to produce prints for the book. This particular panel is one of those copies, now held in a public collection. It offers a rare glimpse into how 17th‑century collectors and scholars documented and disseminated art.
The work showcases Teniers’ technical skill: the crisp rendering of light, the delicate modeling of flesh, and the faithful reproduction of the original’s composition. It also highlights the growing interest in the art of the past during the Dutch Golden Age, where collecting and cataloguing became scholarly pursuits. The painting remains a valuable record, especially as many of the original works have since been altered or lost.
See it in person
Mary Magdalene in the Wilderness (after Palma Giovane) hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
