 The background of the painting had been overpainted with a thick layer of brown paint . A cleaning between 1955 and 1956 revealed the figure standing behind the Magdalene and the kneeling figure with its bare foot protruding in front of her , with a landscape visible through a window . The two partially seen figures are both cut off at the edges of the London panel . The figure above her has been identified as belonging to a fragment in the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian , Lisbon , which shows the head of Saint Joseph , while another Lisbon fragment , showing what is believed to be Saint Catherine of Alexandria , is thought to be from the same larger work . The original altarpiece was a sacra conversazione , known only through a drawing , Virgin and Child with Saints , in Stockholm 's Nationalmuseum , which followed a partial copy of the painting that probably dated from the late 16th century . The drawing shows that The Magdalen occupied the lower right @-@ hand corner of the altarpiece . The Lisbon fragments are each a third of the size of The Magdalen , which measures 62 @.@ 2 cm × 54 @.@ 4 cm ( 24 @.@ 5 in × 21 @.@ 4 in ) . 
 The background of the painting <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> been overpainted with a thick layer of brown paint . A cleaning between 1955 and 1956 revealed the figure standing behind the Magdalene and the kneeling figure with its bare foot protruding in front of her , with a landscape visible through a window . The two partially seen figures are both cut off at the edges of the London panel . The figure above her <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>has</mark></a> been identified as belonging to a fragment in the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian , Lisbon , which <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>shows</mark></a> the head of Saint Joseph , while another Lisbon fragment , showing what is believed to be Saint Catherine of Alexandria , is thought to be from the same larger work . The original altarpiece was a sacra conversazione , known only through a drawing , Virgin and Child with Saints , in Stockholm <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>Nationalmuseum , which followed a partial copy of the painting <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>that</mark></a>probably dated from the late 16th century . The drawing <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>shows</mark></a> that The Magdalen occupied the lower right @-@ hand corner of the altarpiece . The Lisbon fragments <a href='drop_aux' title='7'><mark>are</mark></a>each a third of the size of The Magdalen , which <a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>measures</mark></a> 62 @.@ 2 cm × 54 @.@ 4 cm ( 24 @.@ 5 in × 21 @.@ 4 in ) . 
The background of da painting done been overpainted with a thick layer of brown paint . A cleanin between 1955 and 1956 revealed tdafigure standin behind the Magdalene and the kneeling figure with its bare foot protruding in front of her , with a landscape visible thru a window . Thdawo partially seen figures r both cut offf at thedages of the London panel . The figure above her done been identified as belonging to a fragment in the daeu Calouste Gulbenkian , Lisbon , which show the hda of Saint Joseph , while another Lisbon fragment , showin wht is believed to b Saint Catherine of Alexandria , is thought to be from the same larger wrk . The ordanal altarpiece was a sacra conversazione , known only through a drawing , Virgin and Child with Saints , in Stockholm  Nationalmuseum , which followed a partial copy of the painting probably dated from the latda6th century . The drawing show that The Magdalen occupied the lower ryte @-@ hand corner of the altarpiece . The Lisbon fragments each a third of the sizeda The Magdalen , which measure 62 @.@ 2 cm × 54 @.@ 4 cm ( 24 @.@ 5 in × 21 @.@ 4 in ) .