AWAKENING A CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATION

Anuradha Nalapat from Bengaluru engages with Caravaggio's Magdalen in Ecstasy, unravelling layers of spiritual and psychological complexity.

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In June 2025, visitors to the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Bengaluru, were treated to a rare and electrifying encounter: the opportunity to behold Mary Magdalen in Ecstasy—a long-lost masterpiece by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, the tempestuous genius of Italian Baroque art. Painted in 1606 and rediscovered only in 2014, this oil on canvas stands as a quintessential embodiment of Caravaggio's tenebrism—his radical technique of employing stark contrasts between light and dark to heighten spiritual and emotional intensity.

Caravaggio (1571–1610), a name synonymous with visceral realism and unfiltered emotion, left behind an artistic legacy so profound it birthed an entire movement—the Caravaggisti. His technique profoundly influenced masters like Rubens and Rembrandt. Yet Caravaggio's impact goes beyond mere technical innovation; it is deeply human. His turbulent life—marked by violence, impulsivity and rebellion—bleeds into every brushstroke, each painting a crucible of flesh, spirit and unresolved suffering. Presented in collaboration with the Consul General of Italy in Bengaluru, the NGMA exhibition offers more than a glimpse of a Baroque treasure—it becomes a portal into the soul of the repentant Magdalen.

The Magdalen in Ecstasy transcends mere representation in oil and canvas. It becomes a metaphorical pilgrimage—a gateway through suffering, repentance, and transcendence. The viewer imaginatively steps into the psyche of the saint, portraying Mary Magdalen not only as a penitent sinner but as a luminous symbol of feminine resilience and spiritual rebirth.

THE LIVING DEAD AT THRESHOLD

...And then finally I arrive at the gateway, it's bricks one by one tuning into my intentions, aligning under my gaze. They erect themselves from right under my bare feet with each step that I take. Strange. Am I, Mary Magdalene, the sinner, and now the gateway too!?