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Rainey Knudson

35. Michele Tosini, Saint Mary Magdalene

Michele Tosini, Saint Mary Magdalene, 1560s. Oil on wood, approx. 34 × 26 inches.

Oh, Mary Magdalene. The great penitent saint, so deliciously impenitent painted by Michele Tosini. We often see Magdalene looking homespun and subdued, crying big glass tears, pictured with a skull to remind us: DEATH!! But this luscious Magdalene is all about living, on earth as it is in heaven, in her semi-translucent dress. We know it’s her from her little oil jar, but she’s not here to make anybody quake in shame and fear, least of all herself. Her faith is about a rebirth to beauty, desire, and the worldly pleasures of a worldly life. Show us the way, girl.



 

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