Saint Mary Magdalene experienced almost twenty “ecstasies”. This is approximately the number of paintings representing the disciple of Christ identified and attributed to Caravaggio (1571-1610), over the authenticity of which specialists are divided. Frédéric Wilner’s documentary takes a brilliant look at the case of one of them. It appears in the home of an Italian couple, wishing to remain anonymous, who have gone to great lengths to identify this painting found in their home. Starting by calling on Cinzia Pasquali, an exceptional Italian restorer who has been living in Paris for around thirty years, who happens to collaborate with the Center for Research and Restoration of Museums of France. This shows the seriousness of his approach.
This also means that of the film: far from seeking spectacular effects (well, just enough), it goes to the bottom of the best ways existing today to determine the origin of a work of art. With, of course, this particularity of mixing, with the investigation currently being carried out, a biography of Caravaggio, who had an eventful life. Very serious scenes alternate where Cinzia Pasquali explains how to properly clean an old varnish, and others a little more romantic where actors, filmed and then drawn using the rotoscoping process, who we had not seen since the version from Lord of the Rings (1978), by Ralph Bakshi, show to what extent Caravaggio was a bad boy, gutting those who had the misfortune to displease him.
Exemplary investigation
We will not summarize the life of the lascar – it is in the film -, but it is good to dwell on the exemplary investigation carried out both by the documentarian and by a host of specialists in order, not to authenticate this picture – Mina Gregori, considered the best specialist of the painter, considers it authentic, but some doubt it is fair game – but trace its provenance. Orietta Verdi, archivist paleographer, Francesca Curti, art historian specializing in the 17th century, and a few others started from three small manuscripts kept by the owners of the painting to identify all their predecessors.
Their quest led, after several years, to a certain Giovanni Andrea Canali, silk merchant and magistrate at the Naples court responsible for disputed inheritances. Including that of Caravaggio, who died of who knows what on a beach not far from there. Canali had his luggage seized, which was kept by the Marchioness Costanza Colonna (around 1555-1626), who had protected the brilliant thug since his childhood. And, it seems, diverts the “Mary Magdalene” for his own benefit. All of his heirs have been identified by the researchers, and when we see to what extent they know how to make art history fascinating, we want to get back to it.
