NARRATOR:
According to the Bible, Mary Magdalen was a sinful woman who gave up her worldly ways to become one of Christ’s most devoted followers. Here, the 17th-century painter Georges de la Tour depicts her repenting her past.

Philip Conisbee.

PHILIP CONISBEE:
“You’ll see she’s dressed in a very simple way, a white shirt, and a dark skirt. She’s leaning on a simple wooden table, one hand on a skull, which is placed on some books. And she’s looking into a mirror. In the mirror, what we see reflected is the skull. Behind the skull we see a flickering candle. These are all symbols of the vanity of the world. The fact that the flesh is temporary, the skull evidently, the mirror because it creates an illusion, and the flickering candle, too can be both the candle, the light of faith, if you like. But also its flickering nature can suggest temporality.”

“This painting has an incredible mood. More than fifty percent of the picture is in darkness. And we see just a little hint of this glimmering candlelight behind the skull, illuminating the Magdalene’s pensive features. She’s leaning on the table, rather melancholy pose—dreamy, thinking about her past, thinking about the true path, the true light which she sees, if you like, in the candle. That is the light of those who follow Christ.”

NARRATOR:
La Tour, a master of dramatic lighting, was known for candle-lit scenes like this one, where stark contrasts of light and shadow heighten the emotional impact.

PHILIP CONISBEE:
“The most illuminated part of the picture is the Magdalene’s sleeve. In a way, it almost draws attention away from her reflective face. I think La Tour maybe was even trying to shock you into wondering what this picture is all about. You first see the top of the candle flame, illuminated sleeve, and then you see her and the skull reflected in the mirror. It’s an oblique way of leading you into the subject. La Tour creates a very dramatic mood full of contemplation and a sense of the divine, I think.”