Caravaggio’s Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy
October 14 – November 6
Open: Monday to Friday – from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM
(free entrance, no reservation needed)
From October 14 to November 6, 2026, the Italian Cultural Institute in New York will host an exhibition featuring one of Caravaggio’s most evocative paintings, Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy.
The work of art was brought to the attention of critics in recent years by the renowned Caravaggio’s expert Mina Gregori. It was one of the paintings that Caravaggio took with him on his final journey before his death. It was later confiscated by the Prior of Capua, and all trace of it was lost until, in recent times, documentary research was able to reconstruct its history and identify the painting.
The Saint is depicted in a three-quarter view; her body seems to emerge from the surface of the painting—a composition that would go on to enjoy great popularity. Her face is transfigured by the ecstasy that foreshadows the sensual vision typical of the Baroque era. The Magdalene’s head is thrown back and her eyes are half-closed; tears stream from her eyes, and the tension in her furrowed brow, neck, and hands express pain, repentance, and immersion in ecstasy. Her left arm rests nonchalantly on the red cloak that partially covers a skull, an attribute typical of Mary Magdalene in the Christian iconographic tradition that Caravaggio preserves, along with the cross. The atmosphere is somber, with a predominance of reds and browns.
The exhibition is organized in collaboration with MetaMorfosi Eventi and with the support and contribution of Fondazione Giordano and Listone Giordano.
Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio
Milan, 1571 – Porto Ercole, 1610
Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy
c. 1610
Oil on canvas, 107.5 × 98 cm
Switzerland, Private Collection