Martha tadelt ihre Schwester Maria,

um 1620

Material / Technology / Carrier

Leinwand

Dimensions of the object

132,5 x 154,5 cm

Displayed

AP OG Saal X

Department

Italienische Malerei

Genre

Malerei

Inventory number

12726

Acquisition

1957 als Schenkung von Georg und Otto Schäfer, Schweinfurt, zur Wiedereröffnung der Alten Pinakothek erworben

Stock

Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - Alte Pinakothek München

Citation

Orazio Gentileschi, Martha tadelt ihre Schwester Maria, um 1620, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - Alte Pinakothek München, URL: https://www.sammlung.pinakothek.de/en/artwork/8eGVnBwGWQ (Last updated on 10.08.2022)

The story of Christ’s visit to Martha and Mary could be the origin of this moralising scene when Martha accused her sister Mary of not helping her look after the guests because she was listening to the words spoken by Christ. He did not rebuke Mary but replied that she ‘has chosen the good part’. The depiction of the two women together, whose dispute represents vita activa and vita contemplativa as well as virtue and vanity, was inspired by a similar painting by Caravaggio.