Mary Magdalene: Art’s Scarlet Woman

Mary Magdalene, sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine, was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and its aftermath.
When Jesus is crucified by the Romans, Mary is there to support him in the final moments of his life. She also mourns his death. Mary is the one that discovers the empty tombs and she is a witness to the resurrection.
Mary’s primary link with Jesus is as the woman washing and anointing his feet.
In art, Mary can be seen as both sinner and saint. Some say she is a controversial figure. In this documentary, Waldemar Januszczak explores the impact of Mary Magdalene’s myth on art and artists. In art all Christian saints are inventions but Mary Magdalene has been the subject of more invention and re-invention than any other.