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Notes
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The saint depicted here is Mary Magdalene, identifiable by the ointment jar she holds and by her robes of bright scarlet, a colour traditionally associated with her. Saint Mary Magdalene was linked with the Mary of the Gospels, who Christ allowed to wash his feet when he was dining with his followers (John 12: 1–8). She was also the first person to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection. She had gone to his tomb with ointment, planning to anoint his body, but found it empty. Instead she saw Christ, and mistook him for a gardener (John 20: 1–18). The artist has taken great care to paint the ointment jar so that it resembles white marble with pink and blue veins. Its surface has a soft luminosity, an effect achieved by painting a thin layer of white paint over a base of layer of bright colours.
Title
Saint Mary Magdalene
Date
about 1350?
Medium
Egg tempera on wood
Measurements
H 60.1 x W 34.5 cm
Accession number
NG4491
Acquisition method
Presented by the Misses Cumming in memory of their father, Charles D. Cumming, 1930
Work type
Painting
