Mary Magdalene - The Phoebus Foundation

The Phoebus Foundation

Mary Magdalene

17/09/2026 - 17/01/2027
Order tickets

Sin. Pray. Love.

Mary Magdalene has never been easy to pin down. Saint, sinner, penitent, devoted follower of Christ: over the centuries, artists have returned to her time and again, each seeing something different.

This autumn, the Städel Museum in Frankfurt explores the many faces of Mary Magdalene in a major exhibition spanning the Middle Ages to the present day. More than a hundred paintings, sculptures and works on paper reveal how ideas about faith, the body and the role of women have shifted over the centuries.

Melchior de la Mars, The Lamentation of the Dying Mary Magdalene, c.1622–1629. The dying Mary Magdalene is surrounded and supported by angels.
Melchior de la Mars, The Lamentation of the dying Mary Magdalene, c.1622-1629
Gaspar de Crayer, The Penitent Mary Magdalene, c.1640. Mary Magdalene cuts off her long hair, with a skull beside her as a symbol of mortality.
Gaspar de Crayer, The Penitent Mary Magdalene, c.1640
Mary Magdalene Washing the Feet of Christ, c.1550. Mary Magdalene washes Christ’s feet during a meal, with a second biblical scene depicted in the background.
Mary Magdalene Washing the Feet of Christ, c.1550

Want to know more about The Lamentation of the Dying Mary Magdalene? Our Phoebus Focus publication takes you into the story behind the painting, from its remarkable iconography to the intriguing stories and questions it holds.

Order Phoebus Focus
Mary Magdalene supported by angels in a dramatic Baroque scene, by Melchior de la Mars, cover of the book The Lamentation of the Dying Mary Magdalene.