Filippo Lauri (attributed to) - Untitled (Penitent Magdalene)

The two identically sized paintings depict two episodes of the "Penitent Magdalene," a central figure in Christian tradition due to her conversion from worldliness to ascetic contemplation. In the first painting, the saint is recognizable by her blue robe, meditating before a child and a goat, symbols of innocence and nature, but also of her newfound purity. The second shows her kneeling in a yellow cloak, facing in prayer a crucifix and a skull, symbols of the transience of life and the thought of death. In both compositions, groups of angels surround her, while in one scene a winged demonic figure with a coiled tail also appears, attempting to distract the saint from her spiritual concentration.

The compositional structure of the two paintings is distinguished by the harmonious integration of figures and landscape, which rises from a simple background to a narrative and symbolic protagonist. The natural environment, depicted with atmospheric depth and careful use of light, accompanies and accentuates the emotional intensity of the scenes, lending them an almost theatrical quality. The dynamic and well-articulated groups of cherubs and angels display academic grace and movement, in a narrative that combines religious elements with poetic overtones. The richness of color and attention to detail make the works not only devotional representations, but also refined landscape compositions.

These two paintings are attributed to Filippo Lauri (Rome, 1623–1694), thanks to an appraisal by Professor Giancarlo Sestieri, who recognized the artist's distinctive traits. A representative of the Roman school and a descendant of an artist, Lauri distinguished himself with an elegant style of painting, animated by a fluid narrative style and a remarkable ability to organize complex groups within natural settings. His "typological imprint" is evident in these works: the light anatomies, the delicate rendering of angelic faces, the graceful gestures, and above all the refined display, which makes them not only religious paintings but true landscape masterpieces, in line with the highest expressions of the Roman Baroque.

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