Robert Draws – Raphael’s small painting of Mary Magdalene has made headlines after it was sold for a stunning price of 3.1 million USD, or approximately IDR 50.7 billion. This delicate oil painting, measuring less than 38 cm in height and about 13 cm in width, reflects Raphael’s early talent during the Italian Renaissance. The artwork was created around 1503 when the artist was just 20 years old. It showcases his exceptional technical skill even at such a young age, marking a significant point in his artistic journey.
The painting showcases Raphael’s mastery of detail and technique. Art historian Daria Foner describes it as exuding elegance, softness, and almost a sweetness, qualities often associated with Raphael’s works. In this portrait, Mary Magdalene stands against a black geometric background, which contrasts with her delicate, almost angelic appearance. Unlike typical representations of her holding an oil jar used for anointing Jesus, Raphael depicts Mary Magdalene wearing a fur garment made from her own hair. This attire symbolizes her repentance and rejection of worldly possessions after Christ’s crucifixion.
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In most depictions, artists portray Mary Magdalene as a penitent figure in a broken or despondent state. For instance, Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene (1453-55) portrays her with vacant eyes and a half-open mouth, embodying sorrow and repentance. Raphael, however, chose to depict her differently, almost angelic in her posture. She is framed with a golden halo, enhancing her ethereal presence. Foner notes that the piece is “unusual” yet incredibly remarkable, offering a stunning glimpse of Raphael’s early career.
This Mary Magdalene portrait first appeared in the art market in 2000 when someone sold it for just $611,000, approximately IDR 10 billion. At the time, experts identified it as Santa Maria of Egypt, but Sotheby’s has since reidentified it as Mary Magdalene, although the absence of an oil jar still raises questions about its true identity. Raphael originally created the painting as part of an altar piece for personal devotion. The central panel’s identity remains a mystery, but we know that the other side panel features Saint Catherine of Alexandria, now held in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche in Urbino, Italy.
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Raphael used a detailed technique to create this painting. He began with a full-size spolveri sketch, a process where he pricked the outline of the sketch with tiny holes and placed it on canvas, dusting it with fine charcoal powder. This technique left the outline of the subject, guiding the artist’s final paintwork. The Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin houses the Mary Magdalene sketch, while the Louvre collection holds the Saint Catherine sketch. The painting also features a colorful pattern on its back, along with a prayer that reads, “May the Virgin Mary bless / Us with her holy offspring.”
With a price tag of over IDR 50 billion, many consider this painting of Mary Magdalene a “reasonably priced” piece compared to some of Raphael’s other works. For comparison, his Portrait of Lorenzo de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino (1518) fetched IDR 609 billion in 2007, while his Head of a Muse chalk sketch (1510-11), used for the Vatican’s Parnassus fresco, reached IDR 784 billion in 2009. This sale highlights how even in his youth, Raphael was able to create timeless and impressive works of art that continue to captivate the art world today.
