After Adriaen van der Werff (Dutch, 1659-1722), Mary Magdalene in the Desert

Oil on canvas, circa 1858, unsigned, inscribed on the verso, the top stretcher with red wax seal depicting the double-headed eagle of the coat of arms of the Russian empire, presented in a later frame.

Stretcher size 14 x 10 in.; Frame dimensions 18 1/2 x 17 in.

The original painting by Adriaen van der Werff was completed in 1720. In 1769, the painting entered the collection of Catherine II of Russia. This copy was likely completed by an artist studying at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Only copies produced within the walls of the Imperial Hermitage museum would be granted a red wax seal, which indicates approval by the chief curator of the collections.

Faint stretcher marks; several scattered surface abrasions, including an area of paint flaking to Mary Magdalene's neck; some surface grime; no evidence of retouch visible under UV light.