of Mary Magdalene with a pale
complexion and red hair.
It is an unlikely combination for
a 1st century Middle Eastern
Jewess or Gentile.
Although, women at the time did use
henna on their hair. But the paintings
are
(above left)
by He Qi, Chinese scholar and artist
( near left) - Frederick Sandys 1829 - 1904 born Antonio Frederic Augustus Sands
(@left) painting by Bernardo Luini
Fourteen years after Our Lord's death, St. Mary was put in a boat by the Jews without sails or oars - along with Sts. Lazarus and Martha, St. Maximin (who baptized her), St. Sidonius ("the man born blind"), her maid Sera, and the body of St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin. They were sent drifting out to sea and landed on the shores of Southern France, where St. Mary spent the rest of her life as a cont
She was given the Holy Eucharist daily by angels as her only food, and died when she was 72. St. Mary was transported miraculously, just before she died, to the chapel of St. Maximin, where she received the last sacraments.
Mary Magdalene was well known as a sinner when she first saw Our Lord. She was very beautiful and very proud, but after she met Jesus, she felt great sorrow for her evil life. When Jesus went to supper at the home of a rich man named Simon, Mary came to weep at His feet. Then with her long beautiful hair, she wiped His feet dry and anointed them with expensive perfume.
Some people were surprised that Jesus let such a sinner t

Then to Mary He said kindly,
"Your faith has made y
go in peace."
(left side) artist: Abraham Janssens
From then on, with the other holy women, Mary humbly served Jesus and His Apostles.
(right) Greek Icon
When Our Lord was crucified, she was there at the foot of His cross, unafraid for herself, and thinking only of His sufferings.
No wonder Jesus said of her: "She has loved much."
After Jesus' body had been placed in the tomb, Mary went to anoint it with spices early Easter Sunday morning. Not finding the Sacred Body, she began to weep, and seeing someone whom she thought was the gardener, she asked him if he knew where the Body of her beloved Master had been taken.
(left) fresco from Basilica of St. Francis
(below) Mary Magdalene in Penitence c1577 by El Greco
Mary Magdalene in the cave 1876 Jules Joseph Lefebvre
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2 comments:
I am certainly not an art historian. But, I find it fascinating she has been frequently painted with red hair.
Any idea why?
I think that red hair has long been associated with lust and sensuality. In our research on red hair (in my son's and my homeschool blog - The Red Door) we have found many astounding attributes associated with red hair. At one point women were burned as witches if they had red hair.
Given Mary Magdalene's history I would guess that the artists are portraying that part of her past with her hair color.
I am certainly not an art historian either. I think more research is in order for my son and for me!
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