John Currin, Mademoiselle, 2009, Oil on canvas

“Fourteen contemporary artists have created works about Mary Magdalene for Gallery Met, inspired by the company’s new production of Puccini’s ‘Tosca.’ Conceived and organized by Gallery Met Director Dodie Kazanjian, the exhibition takes its cue from a plot point in the opera. In the first scene of ‘Tosca,’ the painter Mario Cavaradossi is returning to work on a portrait of Mary Magdalene when his lover, the singer Tosca, enters and realizes he’s chosen another woman as his model; his Magdalene’s eyes are blue and Tosca’s are brown. With this in mind, Ms. Kazanjian asked the artists to come up with their own visions of one of the Bible’s most famous figures.” This is a small but powerful exhibition with works by heavy hitters in contemporary art. My favorite work in the show is the painting seen above by John Currin. It reminds me of a modern day Madame X painted by John Singer Sargent in 1884. Classy and refined, it is the perfect example of Currin’s ability as a painter to create luminous surface quality. The exhibition runs through the end of January. Gallery Met is free and open to the public six days a week.  The hours are Monday through Friday 6:00 pm through the last intermission, and Saturdays from noon through the last intermission.