Studies of the Mourning Magdalen and the Virgin

Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1635 - c. 1636

In the 1630s Rembrandt painted a series on the suffering of Christ, the Passion. Commissioned by Prince Frederick Henry, the project was discussed via the Prince’s secretary, Constantijn Huygens. Here Rembrandt tried out various poses for the figures of Mary Magdalene (in pen) and the Virgin (in red chalk) in The Entombment. As he later wrote to Huygens, he was seeking the ‘most natural emotions’ of the figures.

  • Artwork typedrawing
  • Object numberRP-T-1947-213
  • Dimensionsheight 201 mm x width 143 mm
  • Physical characteristicspen en bruine inkt, rood krijt; kaderlijnen in bruine inkt over zwart krijt