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Holy Woman, After Quentin Matsys Northern Renaissance Penitent St Magdalene 1952 Master Copy Oil on Panel Painting
Sold by Skippings Fine Arts
sold SA1041147
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Skippings Fine Arts

Skippings Fine Arts

Sellingantiques Verified Since Feb 2018
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    Modern french & continental pictures selected by a former french auction house expert
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Holy Woman, After Quentin Matsys Northern Renaissance Penitent St Magdalene 1952 Master Copy Oil on Panel Painting

1940 - 1960
Sold 5 November 2025 · Skippings Fine Arts
This “Holy Woman, After Quentin Matsys Northern Renaissance Penitent St Magdalene 1952 Master Copy Oil on Panel Painting” found a buyer.

It was listed by Skippings Fine Arts. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

Description

A stunning copy of the Northern Renaissance masterpiece "Maddalena Dolente" by Quentin Matsys (1466-1530) which is in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. Beautifully executed, it pas painted on a wooden panel that was carefully parqueted.

Matsys was a native of Leuven with humble beginnings as an ironsmith. One of four children, he was born sometime between 4 April and 10 September 1466. Legend states that Matsys abandoned his career as a blacksmith to woo his wife, who found painting to be a more romantic profession, though Karel van Mander claimed this to be false, and the real reason was a sickness during which he was too weak to work at the smithy and instead decorated prints for the carnival celebrations. You will certainly know his "Grotesque Old Woman" (or The Ugly Duchess) in the National Gallery, which is perhaps the best-known of his works. It served as a basis for John Tenniel's depiction of the Duchess in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Here is a tender, gentler but equally poignant depiction of the penitent Mary Magdalene.

The painting was signed by a gifted artist who I have not been able to identify. It is indistinctly signed at the lower right (Roger or Alger), and dated (19)56.

Measuring 25 x 20 cm , the overall framed size is 34 x 29 cm.

Physical Dimensions
Height
25cm (9.84")
Width
20cm (7.87")
Depth
1cm (0.39")
Declaration

Skippings Fine Arts has dated this Oil on Panel Painting to the 1950s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1041147
Dealers Notes

Nous parlons français, und wir sprechen auch Deutsch! Paintings may be viewed in Norwich and in Paris, as well as in London and Cambridge by appointment. Please contact us if you would like further details and images of an artwork.

Description
A stunning copy of the Northern Renaissance masterpiece "Maddalena Dolente" by Quentin Matsys (1466-1530) which is in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. Beautifully executed, it pas painted on a wooden panel that was carefully parqueted.

Matsys was a native of Leuven with humble beginnings as an ironsmith. One of four children, he was born sometime between 4 April and 10 September 1466. Legend states that Matsys abandoned his career as a blacksmith to woo his wife, who found painting to be a more romantic profession, though Karel van Mander claimed this to be false, and the real reason was a sickness during which he was too weak to work at the smithy and instead decorated prints for the carnival celebrations.

“
You will certainly know his "Grotesque Old Woman" (or The Ugly Duchess) in the National Gallery, which is perhaps the best-known of his works.
Skippings Fine Arts

It served as a basis for John Tenniel's depiction of the Duchess in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Here is a tender, gentler but equally poignant depiction of the penitent Mary Magdalene.

fig 1. An oil on panel painting depicting a penitent female figure in historical garments holding a cloth.
fig 1. Holy Woman, After Quentin Matsys Northern Renaissance Penitent St Magdalene 1952 Master Copy Oil on Panel Painting

The painting was signed by a gifted artist who I have not been able to identify. It is indistinctly signed at the lower right (Roger or Alger), and dated (19)56.

Measuring 25 x 20 cm , the overall framed size is 34 x 29 cm.

Height
25cm (9.84")
Width
20cm (7.87")
Depth
1cm (0.39")
Date of Manufacture

Skippings Fine Arts has dated this Oil on Panel Painting to the 1950s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1041147
Skippings Fine Arts
Skippings Fine Arts
Sellingantiques verified Since Feb 2018

Modern french & continental pictures selected by a former french auction house expert

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Skippings Fine Arts Profile Page

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An oil on panel painting depicting a penitent female figure in historical garments holding a cloth. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
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Archive I An oil on panel painting depicting a penitent female figure in historical garments holding a cloth. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

Holy Woman, After Quentin Matsys Northern Renaissance Penitent St Magdalene 1952 Master Copy Oil on Panel Painting

Archive II An oil on panel painting depicting a penitent female figure in historical garments holding a cloth. View II
Archive III An oil on panel painting depicting a penitent female figure in historical garments holding a cloth. View III
Archive IV An oil on panel painting depicting a penitent female figure in historical garments holding a cloth. View IV
Archive V An oil on panel painting depicting a penitent female figure in historical garments holding a cloth. View V
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Telephone 0747 257 2398
Location
Norfolk
United Kingdom

By appointment
Verified Since Feb 2018
Items For Sale 165
Items Sold 688
Skippings Fine Arts
Skippings Fine Arts
Verified Since Feb 2018
View Dealer Info
Location: Norfolk, United Kingdom, , By appointment
Verified
Feb 2018
For Sale
165
Sold
688
An oil on panel painting depicting a penitent female figure in historical garments holding a cloth.
Holy Woman, after Quentin Matsys Northern Renaissance penitent St Magdalene 1952 master copy oil on panel painting
Ref: SA1041147
An oil on panel painting depicting a penitent female figure in historical garments holding a cloth.
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Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectPaintings
  • Period1940 - 1960
  • StyleNorthern Renaissance
  • MaterialOil paint, wood panel
  • ColourMuted Red
  • MotifsReligious iconography, Textured brushwork, Classical drapery
  • SizeH 25 cm (10 in) x W 20 cm (8 in) x D 1 cm (0 in)

Northern Renaissance art is characterised by precise detail, realism, and religious symbolism. Master copies are exact replicas painted by artists to study the technique and composition of historical works.

Traditional panel paintings utilised wooden boards, typically oak or fruitwood, prepared with a gesso ground before applying oil-based pigments.

Authentic pieces exhibit natural ageing such as craquelure, oxidation of the varnish layer, and tool marks on the reverse of the wooden panel.

Pairing historical artwork with minimalist frames or placing it against dark, moody walls creates a striking contrast that bridges historical and contemporary aesthetics.

Maintain stable humidity and temperature levels to prevent the wood from warping, and keep the panel away from direct sunlight to protect the oil pigments.
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