Spanish school of the 17th century. Attributed to FRANCISCO ANTOLÍNEZ Y SARABIA (Seville, around 1645 - Madrid, 1700). "Penitent Mary Magdalene". Oil on canvas. With label of the Servicio de Defensa del Patrimonio Artístico Nacional. With label of Inventory of the General Directorate of Fine Arts. Measurements: 31,5 x 43 cm; 46 x 58 cm (frame). In this canvas, close to the aesthetic precepts of Francisco Antolínez, Mary Magdalene is represented as a penitent in the desert (not understood in the scriptures as such but as an isolated and uninhabited place), dressed in a simple sackcloth, probably barefoot, accompanied by her iconographic attributes; such as the crucifix, the sacred scriptures and the skull. Formally, the work combines the contrasting, chiaroscuro light treatment based on the earth tones typical of the period with a conception of the figure and composition directly derived from the Sevillian school. The present painting shows elements inherited from the Baroque period; however, the softness of the forms, the restrained composition and a certain luminism show the aesthetic progress of the painting, resulting in a more restrained image, in which we are presented with a reflective Mary Magdalene rather than the dramatic image of the figure. The brother of the painter José Antolínez, Francisco was a lawyer by profession, although his curiosity led him to take an interest in a wide range of subjects. He thus became a painter, achieving success with small-format works generally featuring small figures against a background of landscape or architecture. Ceán Bermúdez stated that after studying law in Seville he learned painting at Murillo's school and attended the academy established in the Casa Lonja in the same city, where he is recorded as having attended in 1672. That same year he must have moved to Madrid to join José Antolínez, although it is likely that after Antolínez's death he returned to his native city for some time. He finally settled permanently in Madrid. Francisco Antolínez was able to make a living from painting, but in spite of this he did not sign his works, as he preferred to present himself as a lawyer. Antolínez was heir to the Flemish style of Ignacio de Iriarte in his landscapes, and to the architectural backgrounds of Matías de Torres. His figures have a clear Murilloesque character. Francisco Antolínez is currently represented in the Prado Museum, the Castrelos Museum in Vigo, the Provincial Museum in Ciudad Real, the Episcopal Palace in Huesca, the parish church of Santa Ana in Brea de Aragón, the church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios in Zamora and other religious centres, public and private collections, etc. His work is completely dominated by the landscape, which becomes the protagonist of the image. Dimensions 31.5 x 43 cm; 46 x 58 cm (frame).