Exhibition in Frankfurt shows evolution of Mary Magdalene’s image — Deutsche Welle
At the Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the exhibition “Mary Magdalene: Sin. Prayer. Love” is under way, dedicated to changing perceptions of one of the most enigmatic figures of the New Testament. The exhibition features more than 100 depictions of Mary Magdalene and will run from September 17 to January 17, 2027, reports Deutsche Welle English.
From witness to the Resurrection to sinner
The Gospels say that Jesus freed Mary Magdalene from seven demons. She accompanied him, witnessed the crucifixion and burial, and on Easter morning found the empty tomb and became the first witness to the Resurrection. She then informed Jesus’ disciples about the risen Christ, which is why she is called Apostula Apostulorum — the apostle to the apostles.
Exhibition curator Bastian Eclercy called Mary Magdalene one of the most multifaceted and enigmatic figures in the Bible and European cultural history. According to him, her image has appeared countless times in art history.
Around 600, Pope Gregory I identified Mary Magdalene with two other women mentioned in the Bible: the unnamed sinner from the Gospel of Luke who washed Christ’s feet, and Mary of Bethany. He also linked the seven demons to the seven deadly sins. This influenced the spread of the image of Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute, although there is no biblical evidence for this.
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Artistic and modern interpretations
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Titian, El Greco and Georges de La Tour depicted her as a repentant sinner. Rembrandt showed Mary Magdalene as a witness to Christ’s Resurrection, while Max Beckmann portrayed her as a sinner in 1917. In the 16th century, the Reformation and Renaissance humanism contributed to objections to merging the three biblical women into one figure. After the Second Vatican Council of 1962–1965, the identification of Mary Magdalene with the unnamed sinner was officially revoked.
A new impetus for rethinking her role came from the rediscovery of the Gospel of Mary — a text not included in the biblical canon that presents her as a particularly close confidante of Jesus. Today, Mary Magdalene is considered one of the most influential women of early Christianity and an important figure in feminist theology. In 2016, Pope Francis elevated her liturgical observance on July 22 from a memorial to a feast, placing it on an equal footing with the observance of the male apostles.
The newest work in the exhibition is “La Sfida,” a 2025 painting by Spanish artist Nieves González. It depicts Mary Magdalene in a thick red puffer jacket, looking confidently at the viewer and holding a red skull — a traditional symbol of transience. The work reinterprets this figure’s established artistic attributes.
