The painting refers to the legend in which Mary Magdalene, living as a hermit in a cave in southern France near Aix-en-Provence after Christ’s death, was overcome seven times a day by “the delightful harmonies of the celestial choirs”.
Caravaggio’s original Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy has been discovered in a private European collection, the world’s leading expert on the Renaissance master has claimed.
There are at least eight exemplary copies circulating worldwide, but Mina Gregori, a Caravaggio scholar and the world’s foremost expert on the artist says the original has finally been found.
“Its magnificent. I knew it right away as soon as I saw it. I had an immediate, instinctive reaction,” The Telegraph quoted Gregori as saying.
However, the scholar did not reveal the country where the painting is located as the owners wanted to stay anonymous.
Gregori called the find a “marvellous addition” to the art world. The 80-year-old scholar and authenticator said seeing the original with her own eyes was a career highlight: “I think after all these years, I deserved it.”
