Saint Mary Magdalene reading at a table, with a red rose before her

The prominent rose, shown lying face on to the viewer in the present work, which would seem not to appear in any of the other versions of this composition, bears a striking similarity to the famous emblem of the Tudor monarchy. In the inventories of the Royal Collections following the death of King Henry VIII, the picture described as ‘Item a nother lesse Table with the picture of Marye Magdaleyne looking on her booke the boxe standing before her’ (op. cit.) accords with the present panel. The rose on the Magdalene’s table in this picture would seemingly strengthen the connection between the two works.