Den heliga Magdalena

Antonio Novelli

This sculpture, which was owned by Queen Christina, represents Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’s followers. She is often depicted in this way, with long hair and a skull, as a reminder of the finite nature and transience of life. The sculpture has many links to classical ideals, for example the figure’s features and the body’s resting pose. But the swirling curls of the hair and the deep folds of the drapery are typical of the Baroque and give the sculpture a dramatic expression.