Mary Magdalene: A Visual History

Mary Magdalene's complex roles in Christian history have been explored in a visual history that reveals how images and presentations have created a Mary who is often far different from the real woman. From faithful apostle and seductress to feminist icon, Mary Magdalene has been seen as a witness, sinner, penitent, contemplative, preacher, and patroness. Her complex roles have been explored in great works of art, forgotten masterpieces, and contemporary visual culture, making her a powerful feminist icon.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Mary Magdalene's multifaceted roles in Christian history have captivated us for over 2000 years. This visually stunning history reveals how images and representations have shaped our perception of Mary, often diverging from her true identity as the first witness of the Resurrection in the gospels and her appearances in the works of the Church Fathers. Beginning with the earliest sources, we will explore who the real Mary was and what she meant in her own time, before embarking on a journey through Magdalenes depictions in great works of art, forgotten masterpieces, and contemporary visual culture. We will consider relics, statuary, paintings, sculpture, and recent works for stage and screen, uncovering how Mary Magdalene has been seen across time as a witness, a sinner, a penitent, a contemplative, a preacher, and a patroness. Above all, Mary Magdalene has emerged as a powerful feminist icon, the closest person to Jesus himself, with a visual history as rich and varied as the roles she has fulfilled in numerous contexts of faith and worship for two millennia.

Weight: 594g
Dimension: 196 x 254 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780567705747