Artwork Survey
Please view again the beautiful insert pages in Bride in Exile.
Describe the features notable to you in the 24 works of art shown in thebook. Make a list numbered 1 to 24 and jot down what comes to mind abouteach painting. For your responses, draw upon what you have read in Bridein Exile, along with your previous studies in our Order of Mary Magdala.Send your observations to the AbbeyCouncil, with your spiritual name and “Bride in Exile Artwork” in thesubject line.
Here is Presvytera Deborah’s completion of this assignment:
1. Plate 1: Rubens, Supper in the House of the Pharisee. Jesus and MM wearingblue; jar of ointment; grapes, X, upside-down fleur de lis on the chair tothe left of MM, Jesus sitting on chair with lion’s paws (Lion of Judah),apples and grapes on table
2. Plate 2: El Greco: Saint Mary Magdalene in Penitence with the Crucifix.MM wearing red (mother/full womanhood); grapevine behind her; crucifix andskull
3. Plate 3: Rubens: Christ with Penitents-Jesus wearing red; MM almost nude,wearing white (purity/holiness) — mixed image, or rightful one? Holinessand sacred marriage are not opposites!
4. Plate 4: Signorelli: Mary Magdalene-Red cape, gold brocade (royalty);large ointment jar; X on sleeves; Star of David at hem of dress; city behindher
5. Plate 5: Van Scorel: Mary Magdalene-Green and gold dress (fertility, royalty);large ointment jar; X on sleeves; cave and hills behind her (exile in Provence)
6. Plate 6: Van der Weyden: Mary Magdalene: Wearing red, blue, gold; x patternon sleeves; ointment jar; hills behind her; long red hair (some feel thisis symbolic of the Line of David/desposyni); man on white horse (wearingred) on path, with another man on foot in front of him — is that a patron,or a symbol? Hard to tell with these artists!
7. Plate 7: Jans, The Resurrection of Lazarus: MM in green (maiden, fertility);Jesus in blue; who is the little girl in red behind MM? Patron’s child orsymbol? City with large tower in foreground. Personally I like the guy holdinghis nose!
8. Plate 8: Desvergnes, Statue of Mary Magdalene: Carrying ointment jar;tear on cheek (left side)
9. Plate 9: Clair, Alive in Her: flowering tree; purple and gold (royalty);dove above and within (symbolic of Holy Spirit, Sophia, feminine part ofthe divine); the swirls are “widdershins”-counterclockwise; symbolic ofintuitive, creative side
10. Plate 10: Bondone, Mary Magdalene’s Voyage of Marseilles: green boat;who is the woman in red on the stone? Is she asleep or dead? Who is the manin the boat reaching out to her? Angel seems to be guiding boat (is it 2angels, or one angel with 2 heads?). Castle has 2 pink towers; men unloadingsomething at dock. MM wearing red; 3 men and one woman with her.
11. Plate 11: Exile Carpet fragments: X shapes; not much else is visible
12. Plate 12: Tintoretto, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary. MM wearingred and blue; Jesus wearing opposite coloration in tunic and robe. Marthawears black and white-symbolic of logic and reason. MM’s right hand is symbolicof sexual invitation; Jesus’s hands form vesica piscis. The disciples areoutside! MM and Jesus are facing each other-shows equality; Jesus leans towardMM-sign of interest.
13. Plate 13: Buonaventura-Saint Magdalen. MM wearing red and gold; lookslike Templar crosses in white on trim. Four-petaled flower (symbol of thefeminine) on wrist. Ointment jar shaped like tower. Three-part vesica piscisshape on corners.
14. Plate 14: Campin, Saint Barbara. MM in green, reading book (lover ofknowledge); gold brocade underdress; tower in background; stern male figureover her head on mantle; glass jar of ointment on mantle (MM’s left side);washstand with pitcher and basin behind her on her right; lily in vase behindher. The candle under the male figure is not burning! Symbol of fire havinggone out for male authority?
15. Plate 15: van der Weyden, The Magdalen Reading. MM in green/white; goldunderdress w/leaf pattern-may be fleur de lis (hard to see); man with caneand rosary beside her (her right); jar of ointment on floor; seems to bea penitent kneeling in front of her
16. Plate 16: Rossetti, Mary Magdalene. Long red hair, green dress, X patternon dress in gold threads; entwined vesica piscis shape to right of roundthing she’s holding (double vesica piscis). Four- and five-petaled flowersbehind her (symbols of the feminine, and of Venus/goddess, respectively).Leaves also have vesica piscis shape.
17. Plate 17: Rossetti, The Beloved. Green dress with flowers, long red hair.Vase of flowers instead of ointment jar (gold jar, roses-symbol of passion).Woman to right holds tiger lilies. Bee shape near the lilies (hair ornament?);other women are wearing scarab and shell shapes in hair. Seems to be representingpeople of all races. Girl is dark-skinned (Sarah?).
18. Plate 18: Netherlandish, Saint Mary Magdalene Preaching. Women listening,men arguing! MM in gold brocade, between two trees (towers?). Fleur de lispattern on dress. Man in background (in trees) repenting? Further back, figurein blue and red seems to be asleep or dead (in cave?). Boat in background.
19. Plate 19: de la Tour-The Penitent Magdalene. Reflected candlelight; skull;red cloak; appears to be pregnant; pearls near mirror; broken pendant onfloor (could be symbolic of broken ties of some sort).
20. Plate 20: de la Tour-Repenting Magdalene/Magdalene of Night Light. Skull;red skirt; again appears to be pregnant; rope for belt; books, cross, nooseover cross? Oil lamp instead of candle, burning a piece of rope. Rope imageryis interesting here!
21. Plate 21: Adam, stained glass window in Kilmore Church: Handfasting betweentwo towers; MM in blue, Jesus in green and red; MM appears pregnant; balancedshape on bodice of dress (looks like two fishes shape); surrounded by leavesand four-petal flowers
22. Plate 22: Weber, Mary Magdalene. Look of peace on face; jar is made ofwood, and is open; white and red clothing; hills and woods beyond window;long red hair; might be pregnant.
23. Plate 23: Ballantine, Sacred Union. Shape for infinity; reds and white;shapes overlap but the larger figure does not dominate the smaller ones
24. Plate 24: de Cosimo, Noli Me Tangere. MM in red/green; Jesus in red/white.What is Jesus holding? Looks like a farming implement! City behind them.
