The details of the depiction of St. Mary Magdalene differ from one Christian denomination to another. In the New Testament, a woman named Mary Magdalene is mentioned several times in the Gospels, but nowhere is she called an adulteress or a harlot. The Russian Orthodox Church venerates her as a saint ‘Equal of the Apostles’ and one of the Myrrh-bearers who had seven demons driven out of her. She accompanied Christ and witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection. The eastern tradition makes no mention of either adultery or the promiscuous life of Mary prior to her conversion.

In the western tradition the image of Mary Magdalene is different. It conflates two women from the Gospels: a nameless sinful woman who washed Christ’s feet with myrrh and dried them with her hair, and Mary, sister of the pious Martha and the resurrected Lazarus. Because of this conflation, the western tradition has it that Mary Magdalene had earned her living through sin, but, having met Christ, repented, gave up her occupation and followed him. It is this image that is common throughout the western religious engravings and paintings.

One of such paintings, Repentant Mary Magdalene with her Sister Martha, was created by the Flemish Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens, one of the most influential European masters who chose religious, historical or mythological scenes for his paintings. His treatment of colour and detail owed a lot to Titian and Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Rubens’s palette showed predominance of lead white, yellow ochre, ultramarine, brown resin and rose madder. He was a master of unusual composition choices, dramatic poses and gestures.

In the Penitent Mary Magdalene with her Sister Martha Rubens was assisted by Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens where the former did Martha’s face, and the latter her hands resting across her midriff and the body. Rubens’s Magdalene is shown wearing rich clothes and accompanied by her traditional iconographic symbols: long loose hair and a small vessel containing myrrh. She is depicted in a moment of intense repentance: tears are streaming down her face, and she has raised her face to the sky in a sign that she is setting out on the right path. With her foot Mary is pushing away a box of jewels, forswearing the vane life and earthly riches. Looking down at her, smilingly meekly, is her sister, the devout Martha. Together the sisters form a contrast between sacred love inspired by the thoughts of eternity, and profane love, sin and procreation.