I would see the "protectiveness" in the Magdalene painting primarily as an emotion that it evokes in the viewer. We see her from the perspective of the judging deity, looking down on her, and her neck is exposed and vulnerable as if she is submitting to our judgment. The protectiveness we are invited to feel towards her is precisely God's protectiveness and mercy towards repentant sinners.
(I'm no expert on this, but Prose seems to be greatly exaggerating the lasciviousness of earlier portrayals of the penitent Magdalene. A quick survey of images online suggest to me that the lascivous Magdalene iconography didn't really get going until the 1600s, with Rubens as a central example.)
It may well be true that the painting invites those feelings in the viewer, but how is that an explanation of what is said when Prose mentions "the intensity of his [ie Caravaggio's] compassion"? If she's right, then looking at the painting does not just evoke compassion, it makes us aware of the painter's compassion.
When we experience particular emotions while viewing works of art, isn't it common to imagine that the artists themselves have experienced those emotions and are communicating them to us through the artistic medium?
I would see the "protectiveness" in the Magdalene painting primarily as an emotion that it evokes in the viewer. We see her from the perspective of the judging deity, looking down on her, and her neck is exposed and vulnerable as if she is submitting to our judgment. The protectiveness we are invited to feel towards her is precisely God's protectiveness and mercy towards repentant sinners.
(I'm no expert on this, but Prose seems to be greatly exaggerating the lasciviousness of earlier portrayals of the penitent Magdalene. A quick survey of images online suggest to me that the lascivous Magdalene iconography didn't really get going until the 1600s, with Rubens as a central example.)
It may well be true that the painting invites those feelings in the viewer, but how is that an explanation of what is said when Prose mentions "the intensity of his [ie Caravaggio's] compassion"? If she's right, then looking at the painting does not just evoke compassion, it makes us aware of the painter's compassion.
When we experience particular emotions while viewing works of art, isn't it common to imagine that the artists themselves have experienced those emotions and are communicating them to us through the artistic medium?
Thanks, what or who made it that he got appreciated in 50’s ? Not a time known for being overly adventurous
Yes, that's true. It wasn't '50s culture that made the difference; instead, the fact that in the '50s there was a major exhibition of his work.