In the context of Mary Magdalene (Artemisia Gentileschi), discuss the Patronage of the History.
The work was likely commissioned by the Grand Duchess Maria Maddalena, wife of Cosimo II de Medici. The patron likely ordered this scene specifically, for the similarities between Maddalena's name and Magdalen, so the saint's attributes of piety and penitence would be associated with her too. The luxuriousness of the women's clothing is thought to signal the artist's willingness to adapt her work to the tastes of her patrons. The painting is first mentioned as part of the Pitti Collection in 1826. The painting was restored in 1970 prior to an exhibition.
Cosimo II de Medici Grand Duchess Maria Maddalena