Mary Magdalene (1445)

oil on panel (101 × 35 cm) — c. 1445

Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Rogier van der Weyden biography

Artist: Rogier van der Weyden

Rogier van der Weyden 1399/1400 - 1464 South-Netherlandish painter, chronologically halfway up the list of mediaeval West-European innovators, ranking between Jan van Eyck and Hugo van der Goes, known as the Flemish primitives. Rogier van der Weyden was bo

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This is the left panel of Van der Weyden's Crucifixion triptych. Mary Magdalene, in mourning attire, her face heavy with grief. This Magdalene differs vastly from the one Van der Weyden will paint five years later (shown here).

One look at background and we can see that landscape-painting was not one of Rogier's greater gifts. Mary's face, on the other hand, testifies to Rogier's remarkable talent for expressing emotions.

Mary is holding her usual attribute, a jar of ointment. This attribute may be the result of a case of mistaken identities, i.e. the assumption that Mary Magdalene is the Mary who anointed Jesus' feet. According to John John this lady was a different Mary altogether: Mary of Bethany.

Mark and Matthew mention a woman pouring ointment over Jesus' head in Bethany a few days before the Last Supper, but neither mention her by name.

Mark 14 - New Testament

Mark 14 1 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. 2 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the peo

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Luke describes the same scene as John, but much earlier in the Gospel. He too mentions no names, which is probably what contributed further to the misunderstanding.

Art and the Bible - Luke 7 - New Testament

Luke 7 1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. 2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of t

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