Well, the July 22nd feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene has rolled around yet again. For my celebration this year, I present this blog post to provide some commentary on John 20:1-18, the resurrection appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene and to explore the iconography of Noli me tangere in Western art, from the 11th through the 17th centuries that is associated with this meeting of Mary Magdalene with the Risen Jesus. Eighteen images, some of the many Noli me tangere paintings, illuminated manuscripts, and frescos in the art world, are included and discussed. The phrase “noli me tangere” is...
In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asks his disciples, “who do you say I am?” He asks us the same, but maybe he would also be laughing and curious and ask, “what do you think I looked like?” The face of Jesus has been depicted countless times in religious artwork and gained the devotion of many Christians over the years, including and especially Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, whose full religious name was “Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face.” Often his face is shown as white with narrow features and long, flowing brown (not black) hair. This includes the...
Last updated: February 4, 2025 Happy Easter!! On Easter we celebrate the triumph of Christ over death! Ok, yes I know – Easter was a few weeks ago already, and yes, I am often late for these kinds of things. However, we are still technically in the Easter season until Pentecost (right around the corner now), so I figured I should hurry up and just finish this blog post off. This year, I would like to share some really great artistic depictions of the resurrection. The Bible does not contain a description of the exact moment when Jesus actually rose...
