Mary Magdalene

This richly-attired young woman is Mary Magdalene. She was a woman of loose life, who was converted and became a devoted follower of JesusJesus ChristJesus Christ is the central figure of the Christian religion. The name Christ comes from the Greek 'christos', meaning the anointed one. He was also called 'the son of God'. Christ's life and teachings are described in the New Testament. He was born some 2,000 years ago in Judea. His birth was accompanied by miracles. For instance, his mother was a virgin, called Mary, and his birthplace was a stable. Shepherds were told of his birth by angels and came to worship him as the new king. Jesus grew up as a practicing Jew. But at the age of about 30 he began to proclaim teachings that diverged from Jewish law. A group of disciples gathered around him and his activities brought him into conflict with the authorities. He was eventually condemned to death by crucifixion. According to the Bible, however, he rose from the dead and after his resurrection he was seen by a number of his disciples. Forty days later he departed from the world. But his followers continued to proclaim his teachings. This was the start of Christianity.. She is recognisable from her long hair, her costly attire and her jar of ointment. According to the New TestamentThe New TestamentChristian teaching is founded on the Bible. The Bible is a collection of writings divided into two sections: the Old and the New Testament. In the New Testament various writers relate events that happened in Judea around 2,000 years ago. The New Testament focuses on the teachings of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity. Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the saviour whose coming is foretold in the Old Testament. He is also known as Christ, from the Greek word for saviour, 'christos'. Christ was condemned as a blasphemer and crucified. But the New Testament relates that he rose from the dead. After the Resurrection he was seen by a number of his disciples. Forty later he ascended to heaven. His followers - the apostles - continued to spread his word. Their history is also described in the New Testament, for example in the epistles of Paul. The New Testament concludes with a terrifying vision of the end of the world in the Revelation of John the Divine. legend, it was she who washed Jesus' feet and dried them with her hair. The Venetian painter, Carlo Crivelli painted her in about 1487, using various techniques. He painted her face with thin, delicate brushstrokes, while he used thicker, heavier strokes for her robes. For the marbleMarblingMarbling is the technique of painting wood, metal or paper to resemble marble. Marbling is used to decorate books, for example. In interior decoration marbled wood is often used as a substitute for genuine marble: sometimes it is impossible to tell the difference. Only when you touch the surface do you feel it: wood retains heat more than marble. staircase he used extremely smooth paint. Some details are painted with precious gold leafGold leafTo make gold leaf, the metal is reduced with a hammer or a roller to thin sheets. Because gold is expensive it is often mixed with other metals, such as silver and copper. The amount of real gold in gold leaf may vary between 30 to 98ë. Gold leaf was employed in the Middle Ages to decorate books and to gild woodcarvings. Many paintings had a gold background. In the 15th century gold leaf was mainly used for small details: an aureole around a saint's head, for example, or the flame of a candle. Gold leaf was applied with a mordant. To make it shine, the gold might also be polished., applied on a mixture of plaster and lime. This can clearly be seen in the buckle. Underneath, on a deceptively real-looking piece of paper, Crivelli has signed his nameInscriptionBelow, on the edge with the cherubs, Crivelli painted what appears to be a piece of paper or strip of cloth. On it is a Latin text: 'OPUS KAROLI CRIVELLI VENET'. This means: 'A work by Carlo Crivelli of Venice'..