Her right hand is pressed to her bare chest, while her left arm crosses her body and clutches the folds of a striped, earth-toned drapery that covers her lower torso and shoulders. A white cloth slips from her left shoulder, exposing much of her pale skin and emphasizing her vulnerability. Behind her, a dark, rocky mass rises on the left, contrasting with the luminous sky that opens up to the right, where rolling green hills and a distant building are visible under shifting clouds.

The light falls strongly from the upper right, illuminating her face, chest, and hands, and casting the background into shadow. On the ledge in front of her, a human skull rests beneath an open book, its pages slightly curling, while a small glass jar sits in shadow to the lower left. The brushwork is smooth and blended in the flesh tones, while the drapery reveals more visible, textured strokes, especially in the stripes and folds.

The composition centers the figure, with her upward gaze and crossed arms forming a diagonal that leads toward the sky and the symbols of penance below. A thin, golden halo encircles the figure’s head, faintly visible against the dark background on the left. Her long, wavy hair cascades over both shoulders and down her chest, with individual strands rendered in soft, golden-brown tones.

In the lower left corner, a small, reflective glass vessel with a rounded base sits partly in shadow. The sky in the upper right shifts from deep blue to pale gray, with broad, horizontal brushstrokes suggesting moving clouds. The distant landscape includes a patch of water and a small, light-colored building nestled among the green hills.

The edges of the painting are enveloped in deep shadow, especially at the lower left and upper left corners, intensifying the contrast with the illuminated figure. Titian created this work in the 16th century, within a period dated between circa 1565 and circa 1576. The Bavarian State Painting Collections identifies the painting as part of its holdings, under the title St. Magdalene as Penitent.