A woman with long, flowing hair sits in a rocky landscape, her gaze turned upward and her right hand pressed to her chest. Her expression is one of intense emotion, her wide eyes and parted lips suggesting a moment of spiritual revelation or penitence. A vivid red cloak drapes over her shoulders, catching the light in bold, almost metallic folds, while a deep blue garment lies beneath.

The light falls dramatically across her pale skin and golden hair, highlighting the intricate curls and the delicate modeling of her features. At her side, an open book rests on a ledge, its pages splayed and text rendered in fine, linear strokes. Beside the book sits a human skull, its hollow eyes turned outward, a traditional symbol of mortality and meditation on death.

Behind her, the landscape is wild and turbulent, with twisted trees and a sky filled with swirling, stormy clouds painted in sweeping, energetic brushstrokes. The composition is tightly focused on the figure, who dominates the canvas with her monumental presence and luminous coloring. The brushwork is visible in the textured treatment of the clouds and the rocky surfaces, while the fabrics are rendered with smooth, flowing lines that emphasize their richness and movement.

Light falls most strongly on the woman's upturned face, her left forearm, and the top of her hand, leaving her lower body and the rocky ground in shadow. The edges of the red cloak are sharply defined, while the background trees and sky are rendered with loose, swirling brushstrokes that create a sense of movement. The subject is Mary Magdalene, shown in a moment of penitence, surrounded by attributes such as the skull, the book, and her long, unbound hair. El Greco painted this work between 1605 and 1610, during the early seventeenth century.