If I ask you who "Mary" is, your first reaction is probably the Virgin mary in Christianity.
In the Bible, though, there is another famous Mary. Today, @art Zhang Xiaoyu came to talk with you about "Maria Magdalene".
In the episode "Britain's Lost Masterpieces", which premiered on BBC4 in early 2021, Bendor Grosvenor and Emma Dabiri visited the Brighton Museum to investigate mary Magdalene's filthy image of confessing her sins. The work was found to be the work of the forgotten Roman Baroque master Francesco Trevisani, but the show also tells how a medieval pope confused the biblical description, giving Mary a completely fictional personality.
Mary Magdalene, 1730
Francisco Trevisani (1656 - 1746)
Royal Pavilions and Museum Trust, Brighton and Hove
Mary Magdalene has always been a very popular subject in Western art. Of all the characters mentioned in the Gospels, she may be the most adaptable, with stories ranging from those in the Bible to many legends that grew up outside of recognized religious texts.
The scope of determining the "true Mary Magdalene" is beyond the scope of this article—for centuries she has been revered as a saint, condemned as a sinner, labeled a prostitute, and even reimagined as the wife of Jesus.
Photo credit: National Gallery, London
Maria Magdalene, 1350
Madonna, owner of the Palazzo Venezia (active from the early 14th century to the mid-14th century)
National Gallery, London
But for at least the past thousand years, she has been an artist in many ways, at least in the words of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webb in Superstar Jesus.
Image credit: National Gallery, London
Read Mary Magdalene, 1438
Roger van der Whedon (1399 - 1464)
Artists naturally reflect the concerns of their time when depicting Mary Magdalene, but there are also parables that have been consistent throughout the centuries, and specific scenes—gospels and imaginary ones—appear again and again.
Image credit: Christ Church, Oxford University
Christ appeared to Magdalene, 1515-1520
Bakiaca (1494 - 1557)
Christ Church, Oxford University
A little tip about spelling and pronunciation: Mary of Magdalene is also known as Mary of Magdalene (a place name) and simply "Magdalene" (with or without the last "e"). For University Challenge fans, the pronunciation of the two Oxford and Cambridge colleges named after the saints may also be strange.
Mary the Weeping Magdalene, 1525
Legendary Master of Modlin (c. 1483 – 1530)
As The Maudlin College in Cambridge state says: "Although 'Modlin' is spelled in the biblical and continental European way, the name of the college reads 'Modlin'... The College was re-established in 1542 by Lord Audley. In many early texts, the pronunciation of the name is clear: "Modlin", which also contains Audley's name. With the advent of the postal service in the mid-19th century, Magdalene College was the last e to distinguish Magdalene College, Cambridge, and Magdalene College, Oxford. ”
William Wayneflat (1398–1486), Bishop of Winchester (1447–1486), founder of Modlin
Richard (c.1600 - 1670)
Modlin College, University of Oxford
Magdalen College of Oxford university also blamed the pronunciation problem on its founder: "Waynflete stipulated that his college should be called 'College beatae Mariae Magdalenae' in Latin and 'Maudelayne College' in English." In the 15th century, English speakers called Marie Madeleine "Marie Madeleine" (or "Mawdelayne") ... It wasn't until later that we put the "g" back in place. ”
In the next issue, we continue to talk.