Getty Museum
Mary Magdalene
Creator
Boucicaut MasterFrench Illuminator · 1390–1430
All works by this person →In the early 1400s, the Boucicaut Master was the leading master of manuscript illumination in Paris and one of the most influential artists working in the International style in northern Europe. The Boucicaut Master appears to have supervised a talented team of artists who produced manuscripts commissioned by the king of France, high-ranking aristocrats, and the wealthy bourgeoisie. He probably al
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1415–1420
- Medium
- Tempera colors, gold paint, gold leaf, and ink
- Culture
- French
- Department
- Manuscripts
- Institution
- Getty Museum
The Boucicaut Master's exquisite image of Mary Magdalene with her ointment jar introduces a prayer that focuses on her: *Maria stabat ad monumentum plora[n]s* (Mary stood at the tomb crying). The ointment jar recalls a story long associated with Mary Magdalene, that of the woman anointing Christ's feet at the house of Simon. Believed to have been a prostitute who gave up her former life to become a follower of Christ, Mary Magdalene was an important model for repentant sinners. In this depiction, the Boucicaut Master endowed her with rich robes, a delicately modeled face, and a subdued, elegant pose, all characteristics that made him one of the most influential artists of his time.
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