Mary Magdalene has been depicted in various roles throughout history, ranging from 'Apostle of the Apostles' to a repentant sinner, as highlighted in a new exhibition at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt. Artists from the Renaissance to the Baroque period, including Titian, El Greco, and Georges de la Tour, portrayed her as a penitent figure, while Rembrandt depicted her as a witness to Christ's resurrection. In 1917, Max Beckmann represented her as a sinner, and nearly a century later, Lady Gaga featured her in a music video.
Bastian Eclercy, curator of the exhibition 'Mary Magdalene: Sin. Pray. Love,' stated, 'Mary Magdalene is probably the most multifaceted and enigmatic figure in the Bible, and also one of the most enigmatic in European cultural history.' The Gospels recount that Jesus delivered her from seven demons, and she accompanied him during his crucifixion and burial. On Easter morning, she discovered the empty tomb and became the first witness to the Resurrection, leading to her title as the 'Apostula Apostulorum' or 'Apostle of the Apostles.'
In 600 AD, Pope Gregory the Great merged Mary Magdalene with two other biblical women, leading to her identification as a repentant prostitute, a claim that lacks biblical evidence. A legend emerged in the High Middle Ages suggesting that she, along with Lazarus, was cast adrift and eventually preached the Gospel in Provence, France.
The Reformation and Renaissance humanism in the 16th century challenged the conflation of these figures, but it was not until the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) that the identification of Mary Magdalene with the sinner was officially revoked. Eclercy noted, 'This very broad range of roles... has evidently held a particular fascination for artists of all eras and genres.'
The rediscovery of the Gospel of Mary has contributed to a modern reevaluation of her image, portraying her as a close confidante of Jesus and a significant figure in feminist theology. Eclercy remarked that in recent decades, she has become a role model for women and contemporary female artists.
The latest portrait in the exhibition, 'La Sfida' (The Challenge) by Spanish artist Nieves Gonzalez, deconstructs traditional attributes associated with Mary Magdalene. Instead of gazing penitently, she looks confidently at the viewer, with her hair styled and her body wrapped in a thick red coat, holding a red skull symbolizing power.
In 2016, Pope Francis elevated Mary Magdalene's liturgical celebration to a Feast, aligning her status with that of male apostles. The exhibition 'Mary Magdalene: Sin. Pray. Love.' runs at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt from September 17 through January 17, 2027.