NICOLAS MIGNARD TROYES, 1606 -1668, PARIS
Saint Magdalene at the foot of the Christ on the Cross
Oil on copper29,5 x 21,5 cm
Magdalene at the foot of the crossOil on copper, 11,6 x 8,5 in.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schnapper (Antoine), 1979
Cat. de l'expo. Nicolas Mignard d'Avignon
(1606-1668), Avignon, Palais des Papes, 1979
MacAvock (Jane) 2018
Etude de la Sainte Trinité de Nicolas Mignard (Galerie Mendes, Paris Fine Arts, Grand Palais, 2018)
Recently discovered, this painting on copper is the centrepiece of a group of works that occupy a special place in the creation of Nicolas Mignard d'Avignon.
We can see that the painter has endeavoured to reproduce, very faithfully, the same figure of Christ and the same background of landscape in two other paintings that simply represent Christ on the cross. The first one, also painted on copper (0.43 x 0.30), has belonged to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Troyes since 1973 (fig. 1); it is signed, dated and located N. Mignard pinxit Romae 16[3]6 (today not very legible, the number 3 is acceptable since it is consistent with the artist's stay in Rome; see Schnapper, 1979, no. 5). The second, painted on panel (0.51 x 0.365), appeared on July 6, 2000 in a sale at the Hôtel Drouot (Rieunier and Bailly-Pomery, no. 10), whose catalogue describes it as an "autograph replica" of the painting by Troyes. Together with our painting they form a small, perfectly homogeneous group.
To these three works can be added other, slightly different representations of Christ on the cross. The influence of Guido Reni is obvious (see for example Schnapper, 1979, no. 39). Conversely, when Nicolas Mignard copies in Rome the Holy Trinity of Reni placed in the church of Santa Trinità dei Pellegrini, Jane MacAvock (2008) notes that "the treatment of the body of Christ" departs from his model and recalls the painting in the museum of Troyes. In this way, the Avignonnais takes the creation of the Guide into his own universe
We use cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience, perform site traffic analysis, and deliver content and advertisements most relevant to your interests.
Cookie management:
By allowing these cookies, you agree to the deposit, reading and use of tracking technologies necessary for their proper functioning. Read more about our privacy policy.