Noli me Tangere
Titian
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Date
1509-1519Description
Christ appears to the Magdalen after the Resurrection to comfort her. At first she thinks he is a gardener; when she recognises him he tells her not to touch him - "noli me tangere" (let no one touch me) - as told in the Gospels (John 20: 14-18). Elsewhere, the Bible records that Christ will soon ascend to heaven and send the Holy Spirit down to his followers: he does not want them to cling to his physical presence. X-ray photographs show that Christ was originally painted wearing a gardener's hat and turning away from the Magdalen. The landscape was also drastically altered while the work was in progress. (National Gallery, London, website) detail, detail of Mary Magdalen's robe
Type of Work
Oil painting; PaintingSubject
Landscape in art, Mary Magdalene, Saint, Jesus Christ -- Apparitions and miracles, Painting, Italian --16th century, Art, Italian --16th century
Rights
Rights Statement
All rights reserved
Item is Part of
116798