Angelo Caroselli

Angelo Caroselli was a Roman Baroque painter of penitent Magdalens, Madonnas, musicians and sometimes scenes of witchcraft, painted with Caravaggesque naturalism and strong light and shadow. His style is eclectic, and he was also a gifted copyist of older masters.

He was born in Rome in 1585 and was largely self-taught, learning through restoring and copying paintings. His copies were said to be so good that Poussin could not tell his version of a Raphael Madonna from the original. He joined the Accademia di San Luca, worked briefly for the Medici in Florence and lived in Naples for about ten years before returning to Rome, where he shared a studio with Pietro Paolini. He died in Rome in 1652.

In The Penitent Magdalen, look at the objects around her. His still life details often carry the message of the picture.