The Dead Christ with Mary Magdalen and Mourning Angels

The prominent inclusion of the red-cloaked Mary Magdalen is unusual in a painting of this subject. This vibrant oil sketch is preparatory for Procaccini's large canvas now in the sacristy of the Franciscan church of Sant'Angelo in Milan. It originally occupied the lunette above the passageway linking the two cloisters adjacent to the church. The proliferation of angels can be explained by the original dedication of the church to Santa Maria degli Angeli.

Credit: Long loan in 2009