The Last Communion of St. Mary Magdalen, after Benedetto Luti

Art Historical Context

In the intimate drawing *The Last Communion of St Mary Magdalen, after Luti* (ca. 1761–64), French artist Louis Jean Jacques Durau pays homage to the Italian Baroque master Benedetto Luti. This poignant religious scene captures the saint in her final moments of spiritual ecstasy, receiving communion amid ethereal angels and solemn male figures—a testament to 18th-century devotion to Mary Magdalene as the penitent saint embodying redemption and divine grace. Executed in red chalk heightened with white on brown paper, with delicate pen-and-ink framing lines, the work exemplifies virtuoso draftsmanship of the Rococo era. Durameau's technique masterfully employs chiaroscuro to sculpt forms from shadow, creating a luminous, three-dimensional drama that echoes Luti's original painting. At 13 x 9 7/16 inches, its modest scale invites close contemplation, revealing the tactile richness of chalk on toned paper, a favored medium for studies that bridged painting and sculpture. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of the David L. Klein Jr. Memorial Foundation Inc., 1984), this piece highlights the enduring tradition of copying revered masters, blending French elegance with Italian Baroque fervor to inspire awe in viewers today.