"...the Magdalene is a minor masterpiece... The Repentant Magdalene dates from the end of his life, and the top of his game, around 1660–63. The main character lies prone, looking up dully at her sister Martha, who gestures at a winged angel beating a devil with a rod, driving him out stage left. Two maids flee the scene in tears, having flung open the doors to an exterior hallway, illuminated by daylight. Parts of this scene are exquisite. The satins, jewels, and fancy shoes that Magdalene has cast from her person form a still life in the foreground that looks Dutch in its loving detail. Martha has so much human presence as to upstage Magdalene even as she brings her the comfort of her wisdom. The light on the angel’s form is sublime, the “X” of his pose serving as a conduit of movement through the composition. Parts of this scene are not exquisite. The painting made unprecedented demands on Cagnacci’s architectural draftsmanship, and he did not meet all of them. We are looking down at a window in the upper left corner at which we should be looking up, and conversely looking up at a balustrade at which we ought to be looking down. The fleeing maids’ faces are inchoate. The devil’s body seems to have been stunted in order to fit in the picture. Nevertheless, the whole of the thing is a marvel. Light catches on an interior corner, forming a dagger of illumination that points at the devil’s back. The two-point perspective on the tiled floor is not just convincing in its demonstration of perspective, but also conveys the eye through the lower edge of the painting in a canny way. The angel’s blue drape snakes nonsensically in the middle of the picture, but how Cagnacci handled the color tone against the warm, dark background is enthralling. The plant on the railing is a gorgeous bit of observation despite the fact that the pot that it has been planted in has simply not been drawn correctly." (http://www.newcriterion.com/posts.cfm/Guido-Cagnacci-at-the-Frick-8319) Highly theatrical in composition, The Repentant Magdalene is based on contemporary literary sources and religious plays. It depicts an event from the life of Mary Magdalene, the courtesan who converted to Christianity and gave up her sinful life after her encounter with Christ. Shown in her room after meeting with Jesus in the Temple, Mary is on the floor at the center of the composition, her long blonde hair cascading down her side, her face reddened by high emotion, her body barely covered by a white sheet around her waist. She has discarded her worldly possessions, throwing away her luxurious clothes and jewels, which are scattered all over the floor, creating an astonishing still life. Her sister Martha has found her in this state. Simply dressed, Martha sits on one of the cushions on the floor, consoling Mary. Behind them, two servants are leaving the room after having found their mistress in such a state. To the left, two allegorical figures are depicted: a standing angel, its hair blown by the divine wind that ruffles its evanescent wings, banishes a levitating devil, complete with horns and tail, who approaches the window in an attempt to flee the room. These fighting figures represent Virtue and Vice locked in combat as Mary chooses to follow her virtuous new Christian life. (http://www.frick.org/press/cagnacci’s_masterpiece_repentant_magdalene_comes_frick_fall)