A delicate drypoint print from the late fifteenth century depicting the legend of Saint Mary Magdalene being lifted by angels.

This drypoint print by the Master of the Amsterdam Cabinet, also known as the Master of the Housebook, depicts the legend of Saint Mary Magdalene. According to medieval tradition, the saint spent thirty years in the wilderness of Provence, where she was lifted into the air by angels seven times a day to hear the celestial music of the spheres. The artist captures this moment of spiritual ascent with characteristic sensitivity, focusing on the delicate interplay between the saint and her angelic attendants.

The composition is framed by an architectural arch, which provides a sense of enclosure while allowing the figures to occupy the central space. The saint is shown with long, flowing hair that covers her body, a standard iconographic convention for her period of penance. The four angels are positioned to support her, their wings and drapery rendered with the fine, expressive lines typical of the drypoint technique. The Master of the Amsterdam Cabinet is celebrated for this specific approach to line work, which avoids the rigidity of traditional engraving in favour of a softer, more painterly quality.

Small trees flank the lower portion of the scene, grounding the ethereal event in a recognisable, if stylised, natural environment. The print demonstrates the artist's ability to combine narrative clarity with a sense of quiet devotion. The figures possess a gentle, rounded quality, and their expressions are marked by a calm, meditative focus. This work remains a significant example of late fifteenth-century German printmaking, reflecting the period's interest in hagiography and the technical possibilities of the drypoint medium. The lack of heavy cross-hatching allows the paper to retain a luminous quality, ensuring the focus remains on the central figure of the Magdalene as she is carried towards the divine.