Maria Magdalena: from sinner to sacred figure in art

For centuries, the church portrayed Maria Magdalena as a sinner, but artists continued to depict her in their work. An exhibition at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, Germany, explores how images of her as both a seductress and a penitent developed and continue to resonate today.

The exhibition reveals that few renowned workshops failed to portray the woman from Magdala, a town on the Sea of Galilee.

Early depictions often contrasted Maria Magdalena with the Virgin Mary, representing different ideals of womanhood. While the Virgin Mary embodied motherhood and piety, Maria Magdalena was often presented as more independent and less conventionally humble. Artists frequently showed her undergoing a transformation, such as the scene by Simon Vouet where she removes jewelry at the urging of her sister Martha.

Later, Pope Gregory the Great officially defined Maria Magdalena as a repentant sinner in the 7th century, solidifying an image that served both religious and political purposes. This led to countless paintings of her in states of sorrow and remorse. However, legend also grew around her later life, portraying her as a hermit living in the mountains of Provence, France, and eventually as a saint.

The Städel Museum exhibition includes works from various periods, showing the evolving interpretations of Maria Magdalena’s story, and concluding with more modern attempts to portray her as an independent woman.