Dimensions: 86 x 167 cm
signed l.d.: 'MAESTRO ŻEGALSKI'
Exhibited
private collection, Poland
Literature
Apostle of the apostles or harlot? What really connected Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ?
In his Gospel, St. Mark mentions Mary Magdalene as the one from whom Christ cast out seven demons. This is a very laconic statement, which does not give the reader any more anchor points to learn about the past of this biblical woman. Neither Mark, nor any other evangelist, mentions anything more about this event, revealing no information regarding these demons. The apostles wrote about how Mary Magdalene was close to Jesus. It was she, after all, who discovered his resurrection....
The story of this acquaintance was used in his book "The Leonardo da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown. By sprinkling the biblical story with a pinch of sensationalism, the author sold 80 million pieces of his novel and profited from the film adaptation of this work. However, he was not the one who came up with the story of Magda Magdalena, who flees from Palestine to Marseilles after the crucifixion and is the progenitor of the royal Merovingian family. The theory that Mary Magdalene, as a woman who had the blood of Jesus in her, became the mythical Holy Grail sought by the Knights of the Round Table, had already existed. Mary Magdalene owes her fame as a sex worker to Pope Gregory the Great. It was he who, in the sixth century AD, wrote a homily in which he unequivocally stated that Mary Magdalene, who had previously been a sinner in the city, became a veritable paragon of feminine virtues after meeting Jesus. However, her oldest profession in the world is not so obvious. Perhaps she is another woman who appears in the canonical Gospels as Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus.
Certainly, the myth of Mary Magdalene as a converted fallen woman and its longevity through the millennia is a sign that the Christian religion lacks feminine energy. The cult of the Virgin Mary and the legend of Mary Magdalene, Jesus' most faithful disciple, fills at least in part this serious gap. Although it must be admitted that we are dealing here rather with a kind of archetypes of femininity , "ideal types", rather than a plausible image of women. One of the most controversial issues concerning Mary Magdalene is the alleged Gospel of which she was said to be the author. Found in the 19th century by Carl Schmidt, a mysterious Gnostic manuscript dating from the 5th century AD alluded to events in the Bible, but was missing some passages, among which was said to be one entitled The Gospel According to Mary. Later research and discoveries have led experts to conclude that this Gospel was from the 2nd century, yet not everyone rejects its authenticity. However, the text clearly emphasizes the importance of Mary Magdalene and her role as an important disciple of Christ, whom, in addition, the latter trusted and had undisguised affection for.
Thanks to the fact that Mary was the first to reach the empty tomb of Jesus, and it was also to her that the Lord first appeared to her after the resurrection, her character acquires great importance. Her encounter with Christ was undoubtedly emotional. In many of the paintings that depicted this moment, Mary behaves in a variety of ways, in some she falls to the feet of her master, in others she extends her hand to Jesus, in some shots she even tries to approach him, which would be the most natural reaction of any person in this situation. At the same time, Jesus stops her with a hand gesture, suggesting that she will not return to what she was before, will not stay with her disciples, as she will soon join her Father. Mary Magdalene was the heroine of Giotto's frescoes from the church in Assisi. Giotto depicted two themes in one fresco. On the left is an empty tomb with two angels in white robes sitting on it. Beneath the tomb, the guarding soldiers are still sleeping. To the right, in an angel-like white robe stands Christ. In his left hand he holds a banner with the inscription "Victor mortis" - Victor of death. With a gesture of his right hand he restrains, saying: "Noli me tangere" - "Do not stop me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father" (John 20:17). Rembrandt painted a picture of Mary at the tomb of Jesus, where, in despair, she does not recognize the Lord.
The painting presented at the auction provides us with a completely different aesthetic experience. Probably, if not for the suggestive title of the painting, it would be hard to guess who was immortalized on the canvas. The male figure is reminiscent of American cinema legend James Dean, while the portrayed Magdalene, definitely more reminiscent of American country music singer Dolly Parton than "the humble servant of the Lord."
Biography
He was born in 1959 in Cieszyn. Began studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, later moved to the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, received his diploma in 1984. Co-founder of the "Tercet of Excessive". In the 1980s, he and the group promulgated provocative art manifestos and also published the art magazine "Bengal." In 1988 he was awarded the Grand Prix Arsenal '88. He does easel painting, plafond painting and fresco painting.
He has participated in more than 400 exhibitions in Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan, including major art events such as the BIAF Art Fair in Barcelona, the Basel Art Fair, the annual figurative painting exhibition "Figuration Critique" at the Grand Palais in Paris, the 1st Realismus Triennale in Berlin.
