Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy by Artemisia Gentileschi (circa 1620–1625) is an incredibly personal and unconventional take on the extremely popular theme of the Counter-Reformation period. In the oil on canvas painting, the artist has managed to strip away from the image all the landscape features such as rocks in the wilderness, skulls and crosses typical for traditional Baroque interpretations of the story of the penitent saint. Instead of depicting Mary Magdalene in the process of praying publicly, doing penance and being full of theatrical remorse, the artist concentrates on the private spiritual ecstasy of the saint. This painting is characterized by the fluid line work of the woman lying down who lies with her back resting against some support in a position of complete submission. Her head leans up with her eyes shut while her slightly open mouth gives a feeling of extreme spiritual transcendence. Her hands are loosely clasped on top of her right knee in an apparent position of peacefulness instead of tense and anguished positioning. Bringing the figure very close to the foreground makes the viewer feel an intense physical closeness with the saint thus making it a very human psychological experience instead of a remote religious one. The artist makes use of a ruthless, unrelenting use of chiaroscuro to define the form, casting a sharp and fierce shaft of light from the top left. The light cuts fiercely across the delicate skin of her neck and shoulders to create an important focal point, as well as capturing the luxurious, pleated folds of her dark yellow dress. Through the interplay of the deep shadows around her chin and in her hair, the intensely realistic nature of the form is emphasized, ensuring that it is three-dimensional. Through the skillful interplay of light, Gentileschi cleverly achieves a perfect balance between the heavy sensual nature of the flesh and the heavenly intervention.
The painting holds the moment just before a spiritual release. The Magdalene's head falls back, her eyes closed and throat exposed, while her clasped hands rest against her lap. Her hair spills over the dark background in loose, golden waves. Artemisia gives the scene no setting, so nothing distracts from the body. The white blouse slips off the shoulder, and the purple and gold drapery sits heavily, almost weighing her down. Ecstasy here is not serene; it reads as surrender, the body yielding to something beyond itself. The painting's sensuality is deliberate, and it asks the viewer to consider how devotion and desire can look alike.
