Magdalene in Ecstasy attributed to Caravaggio on exhibition in India

For the first time in history, a painting attributed to Caravaggio is on display in India. The much-discussed Magdalene in Ecstasy is in fact the focus of an exhibition at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in New Delhi, which opened April 11, 2025, in the presence of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The work, rediscovered in 2014 in a European private collection and attributed to the Lombard master by art historian Mina Gregori (and for that reason it is also known as the “Magdalene Gregori”), has been the subject of debate among scholars regarding its autography.

Magdalene in Ecstasy was initially exhibited at theItalian Cultural Institute in New Delhi from April 12 to 15, and then transferred to KNMA, where it will remain until May 18. The exhibition is part of an international touring project that saw the work exhibited in Mongolia in May 2024 and subsequently on two stages in China. The initiative aims to promote mutual understanding between Italy and India through artistic heritage.

The work depicts Mary Magdalene in a moment of mystical ecstasy, with her head tilted back and eyes closed, bathed in an intense light that enhances her emotional expression. According to legend, after Christ’s death, Mary Magdalene retreated to a cave in southern France, where she was carried seven times a day by angels into the presence of God. This is a painting of which several versions are known, all equally discussed by critics over the years, but with no agreement on the original. The invention, however, is commonly attributed to Caravaggio, who interprets this moment in a revolutionary way, eliminating supernatural elements and focusing on the inner experience of the saint, creating an ambiguity between mystical and erotic love.

The work’s discovery in 2014 sparked both excitement and skepticism. Mina Gregori attributed the painting to Caravaggio based on stylistic analysis. Others, however, believe that all known versions of Magdalene in Ecstasy are 17th-century copies of a lost original. The dispute was fueled by the 2018 exhibition at the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris, where two versions of the painting were displayed side by side, raising questions about the authenticity of both.

The presence of Magdalene in Ecstasy attributed to Caravaggio at the KNMA in New Delhi is intended to offer the Indian public an opportunity to engage with a nonetheless important work and to participate in an international debate over attribution.

Magdalene in Ecstasy attributed to Caravaggio on exhibition in India

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