Donatello chose to make Mary Magdalena as penitent for her sins (in the desert for thirty years) with an appearance that pleads forgiveness. She is shown as a haggard, deeply wrinkled, and clothed in rags with missing teeth. The reason for bestowing in a way was to express her sins, which stolen her beauty to the public. The wooden statue of Penitent Magdalena shows an eminence level of realism with expression and emotion.
